Candidate: Chris Yates

Chris knows the importance of family – and he’s committed to protecting yours As a Central Florida native, Chris and his wife Bridget are proud to call Flagler County home. It’s where they raise their two children, Angela and Brandon, and an important reason he wants to be our next sheriff. A Life-Long Dedication to Values Oriented Service Chris was raised in a hardworking family, learning the building trades in his father’s construction business. Dripping sweat after school, on weekends and each summer growing up, Chris learned the value of achieving goals through hard work. He credits this formative experience with shaping his strong character, work ethic, and passion for providing top quality service. In fact, it was this early commitment to serving others that led Chris to his impressive career in law enforcement. Professional Ethics. Personal Integrity. Hard Earned Experience. Chris has over a decade of progressive law enforcement leadership and operations experience with a strong emphasis in emergency management, training, budgeting and problem-solving. Learning the police service from the ground up, Chris rose through the ranks as a uniformed patrol officer, criminal investigator, crime suppression officer, narcotics investigator, and line supervisor. As Operations Commander, he now has direct responsibility for the command and control of the Uniform Patrol Division, Crime Suppression Unit, Traffic Enforcement Division, Code Enforcement/Animal Control, and the Emergency Management function. A new vision. A new direction for Flagler County As a decorated member of the Holly Hill Police Department’s senior command staff, Chris has earned a reputation in the regional law enforcement community for fairness, firmness, and a strong personal connection to the diverse community he serves. Throughout his impressive career, Chris has proven that he is driven by results and highly adept at providing a full range of key organizational services, with demonstrated stability under pressure and a proven reputation for diplomacy, ethical decision making, strategic planning and professionalism. Chris Yates knows what it means to serve the community on the front lines, and he has earned the trust and respect of the citizens he serves – and the men and women behind the badge. Visionary Leadership and a commitment to your family’s Quality of Life As a law enforcement executive, Chris has a proven reputation for innovation in values oriented public service: • Supervised the implementation of a highly successful risk-based deployment strategy focusing on intelligence-led policing, data mining and crime forecasting concepts. • Acquired, equipped and deployed electric vehicle assets for non-traditional patrols of high incidence areas. • Committed to the highly successful Police Athletic League, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) and Police Explorer community outreach programs. • Supervised Emergency Management operations with responsibility for the development and maintenance of response, contingency, and continuity of operations plans and the strategic command of emergency response and recovery operations. • Helped establish a highly successful community clean-up initiative which organized off-duty law enforcement officers and volunteers to assist the elderly and disabled with yard work, property maintenance and trash removal to spruce up blighted areas and reduce code violations. • Florida Certified Law Enforcement Training Officer, with advanced training and certifications in firearms, defensive tactics, less-than-lethal options and other high-liability issues facing law enforcement officers today. • Served as agency representative for the Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association. • Assisted in the development of the agency’s Honor Code, Pride in Public Service and Operation Lifeline programs focusing on values-oriented public service. • Member of the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force Meth Team. Advanced training and experience in the investigation, clean-up and eradication of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. • Boy Scouts of America – Committee Chairman Pack 404 • Supervised implementation of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan for agency operations, including leadership and career development tracks for both sworn officers and civilian support personnel.