For the first time in several years, the race for Palm Beach County Sheriff is a partisan one and the Incumbent is in the Democrat Primary.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw touts his 50 years in law enforcement.
"Twenty-five of the 50 years, I've been a police executive. That means I was either the police chief or the sheriff. The total time combined of the two challengers against me that have any type of police executive experience would be zero. That's the big difference."
He faces one challenger in the primary, Alex Freeman, a retired Major from the Riviera Beach Police Department, who says he was third in command and spent some time as acting-Chief of Police.
As to Bradshaw's claims that he doesn't have leadership experience.
"Before Sheriff Bradshaw became sheriff, there was a number of sheriffs that didn't have experience at running the Sheriff's Office. But the voters gave them all an opportunity."
Freeman says that after 16 years, it's time for a change at PBSO.
He spoke about the issues that have come up in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Freeman, who is an African-American, believes there is systemic racism in law enforcement, claiming he was a victim of it.
He also speaks about the "defund the police" movement, calling it "misunderstood."
He says he supports "redirecting some of the funds for mental health providers and social workers to come under the umbrella of many law enforcement agencies." Freeman says he will conduct a "forensic examination of the budget to determine what programs serve as a benefit to the people of Palm Beach County versus those programs that don't."
Incumbent Sheriff Bradshaw says much of that is already happening.
The mental health unit that I started six years ago does everything that people clamor for right now about redirecting funds into those type of programs. I'm already doing it."
Freeman claims that Sheriff Bradshaw, in March, donated 5,000 surgical masks and a 2017 Ford Expedition "from his fleet of vehicles of taxpayer dollars" to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who are currently investigating him over the time that Jeffrey Epstein spent in PBSO's work release program.
Bradshaw acknowledges the donations of masks and a vehicle to Miami's FDLE office, saying they were similar to donations the agency makes to other law enforcement agencies. He points out that the Epstein investigation, which he requested, is being conducted out of the FDLE's Tallahassee office, in conjunction with the governor. Bradshaw draws a distinction between the two offices...the one that is investigating PBSO and the one that is not.
The winner of the Democrat Primary faces Republican candidate Lauro Diaz in November.
Photo: Getty Images