Candidate: Thomas M. 'Tom ' Cooper

I am Tom Cooper, a Republican Candidate for Sheriff. I would like the opportunity to sit and speak with you in person, but until then, I hope this brief bio will give you a bit of insight about some of my ideas for improving Law Enforcement in Walton County. I began my career with Walton County Sheriff’s Department in 1987 as a Communication Officer at the Santa Rosa Beach Sub Station and shortly thereafter moved into the Patrol Division. In 1995 I was promoted to Sergeant and was chosen to head the Beach Patrol unit in 1997. After resigning in 1998, I returned in 2000 to command the Sheriff’s Department Reserve Unit which consisted of a maximum of ten officers. I served on the South Walton Fire District Board of Commissioners from 2000 -2006 including two years as Vice Chairman; I was the first Chairperson for Crime Stoppers of Walton County, and Past Vice President and Past Director of the Sandestin Lions Club. For the past 8 years I have been the Director of Security for the Sandestin Owners Association where I am responsible for administering the daily operation of a 40 person staff, a sizeable operational budget, and the safety and protection of a community of over 4500 homes, numerous commercial operations and thousands of visitors. Sandestin Owners Association is unique. By nature of its size, design and statutory requirements for Homeowner Associations, we operate very similar to that of a municipality or other governmental entity. This operation has given me valuable experience in personnel, financial, and operational management in the corporate environment. I am a 1982 graduate of South Dade High School in Homestead, Florida. I Graduated from Miami Dade Community College in 1986 with an A.S. in Criminal Justice, and pursued further Criminal Justice education at the University of West Florida. I received my formal law enforcement training at Southeast Florida Institute of Criminal Justice where I graduated with honors. I have numerous hours of additional law enforcement, management, finance and emergency management training and I am a licensed Community Association Manager. During my tenure as a Deputy Sheriff, I faithfully served the citizens of the county without prejudice and when elected, I will continue to do so. We will provide new ideas to increase the quality of law enforcement service to the citizens of Walton County through a team concept. The Office of the Sheriff is a powerful position within the Government. It demands someone with strong character and integrity, who will afford the employees of the Sheriff’s Office support and proven leadership; one not afraid to be on the front line with those he sends there; a responsive leader with values and vision and someone who supports the staff he employs. When elected, I will be accessible, I will communicate and I will always act in the best interest of the citizens of Walton County. My priorities will be to clearly define the expectations of the Organization’s Mission, assemble an accountable and responsible Finance Team, an experienced Human Resources Team and open communication lines with the community. As a team, we will work to achieve many goals, beginning with the following: • Law Enforcement Accreditation to standardize the mission of the Office. This will assist in providing across the board consistency and professionalism for the operation as a whole, but remaining fiscally responsible. • Enhancing the training program to provide all staff with the most current procedures and practices to ensure they have the necessary skills to perform their job safely and effectively. • Create a community service division that brings the office to the people. This will include establishing office hours in the Paxton, Freeport, and Santa Rosa Beach sub stations and will strengthen the open door policy. • Employee Assistance and Career Development Programs will be added. These programs are designed to assist the employee, and outline clear training objectives that must be met to advance within the ranks. • Work mutually with all law enforcement and emergency service providers to establish the best practices and policies with regards to investigations, emergency planning, emergency response, and communications while remaining fiscally responsible. I can be reached at 850-978-3313 and contributions mailed to Tom Cooper Campaign PO Box 2151 Santa Rosa Beach Florida 32459. Contributions, no matter how small will be greatly appreciated. Please visit our web site at www.tomcooperforsheriff.com