Creel’s Response To Letter

After reading a letter to the editor on this forum attacking my honesty and integrity, I feel it is my duty and obligation to respond to the citizens of Wakulla County. I was informed on Monday, May 5, 2008 that the letter was removed due to the fact that the true identity of the person who wrote the letter could not be verified.

The letter stated that I retired as a “slick sleeve” trooper and not a Major. Let me explain what this means. It is someone, in law enforcement, that does not have the chevrons or stripes of a sergeant, the bars of a lieutenant or captain, or the oak leaves of a major on the sleeve or the shoulder of their uniform. There are currently 1,202 “slick sleeve” troopers who are members of the Florida Highway Patrol, (FHP). These are the officers who are out there on the frontline: answering calls, investigating crashes, enforcing laws and knocking on family members’ doors at 2 a.m. to inform them that their loved one won’t be coming home.

{sidebar id=1}All police agencies are paramilitary in their rank and structure. In belittling my years of service among the ranks of these fine men and women, this unidentified person was attacking the most valuable members of our police forces who are putting their lives on the line for our cities, counties and states every day.

FHP policy states that a member can retire at one rank higher than the highest rank he or she obtained. In 1993, I was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned to the Executive Office of the Governor, (EOG) as the Security Aide to the Lieutenant Governor. This is a temporary position held during the course of a governor’s administration. The person holding this position can take promotional tests to progress through the ranks, and, at the end of that governor’s administration, it would become a permanent rank. FHP policy states that the only requirement is to pass a test and get on the promotional list. Rank for me, however, was not an issue. The job I enjoyed most was serving the citizens as a “slick sleeve” trooper, and that was what I chose to do.

It was misleading for this unidentified person to state that I was removed as a Security Aide. When a new administration takes office, it can choose security personnel from the FHP ranks. Since I had been assigned security for six years, I decided to return proudly to the ranks of a “slick sleeve” trooper. The FHP director gave me the option of any county in the state, and I chose Wakulla County because this is where I live and this is my home! When I finally decided to retire from the career that I loved, the FHP director chose to honorably retire me at the rank of Major since I had previously attained and held the rank of captain for six years. I will be glad to show my credentials indicating this to any interested parties.

During my time at the EOG, I provided security for the Lieutenant Governor and assisted with security for the EOG. I was also involved in budget hearings, budget reviews, and other related duties. If you ask my opponent about the time he met with me at the Governor’s office in an attempt to obtain funds from the state for conflict attorneys, for Wakulla County, I believe he could confirm that my responsibilities were much more involved.

As far as maintaining a budget or running a jail: the current Wakulla County Sheriff, elected at the age of 26, had never managed a budget or run a jail. I believe at the age of 55, I have a lot more knowledge and experience in matters that have a direct impact on each of us as taxpayers.

{sidebar id=1}The unidentified person tried to undercut the importance of membership in the FHP voluntary reserve program. It is not simply “voluntary.” Reserves have the same training that all law enforcement officers have. They have the same arrest powers that troopers, deputies and city policeman have. The FHP Reserve Program is made up not only of retired troopers who have volunteered to continue to serve the citizens of Florida, but also of businessmen, teachers, ordinary citizens and, yes, doctors who have obtained the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Certification to be “volunteer” police officers in this state. This is the same certification that all state, county and city law enforcement officers are required to obtain in order to be employed as law enforcement officers in this state. When a trooper retires, he has the option of applying to be a member of the reserve program. Acceptance is not guaranteed. Personnel records and job history are evaluated.

My supervisory experience has also been called into question. Let me clarify that a recruit is a trooper who has graduated from the FHP Training Academy following 32 weeks of law enforcement training, after which they are required to undergo 10 weeks of intensive field training. I was a field training officer and took many recruits right out of the academy to oversee this last, most vital portion of their training. I supervised their interactions with the public, monitored “real life” traffic stops, taught them how to investigate crashes, instructed them on how to testify in court, helped them identify criminals, and ensured that they learned everything needed to go home safely.

And last, this unidentified person questioned my lack of a college degree. In my 30+ years as a law enforcement officer in the state of Florida without a college degree, I learned what people want, what they respect and what their concerns are. Throughout my life, I have been inspired by Harry S. Truman, one of our greatest presidents, who, in addition to not having a college degree, lived by the common theme of “Common Sense” and “The Buck Stops Here!”

When I’m elected Sheriff, I plan on showing the citizens of Wakulla County that “The Buck Stops Here.” The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office will be totally accountable for its budget, which will be open and transparent. The professional men and women of your sheriff’s office will enforce the laws of this county equally and impartially. I will be a full-time sheriff without outside special interests.

I invite you to talk to anyone who knows me. Talk to anyone who has dealt with me during my service with the Florida Highway Patrol; from the people I have conducted traffic stops on, to the people who have been involved in traffic crashes which I investigated, to families I have consoled during times of loss.

I stand by my record.

Charlie Creel
Candidate for Sheriff for Wakulla County

This letter originally published on May 9, 2008.

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