Tampa Tribune

Sheriff's Race Gets Another Candidate

By LISA A. DAVIS, The Tampa Tribune

NEW PORT RICHEY - With another Democrat vying to bump Bob White out of office, the race for Pasco County sheriff, with five candidates, is so far the most crowded for any county seat.

Jeff Deremer, an almost lifelong Pasco County resident and a 15-year officer with the Florida Department of Corrections, Bureau of Probation and Parole, filed this week to challenge the two-term incumbent.

Working until recently as a liaison between the corrections department and the Pasco sheriff's office, Deremer said he has seen the agency's problems firsthand. Because he's a candidate, he's now handling a caseload of 50 probationers, rather than his liaison duties, to avoid a conflict of interest, Deremer said Tuesday.

The cornerstone of his campaign is emphasizing the need to put more deputies on the streets.

"We truly need to increase our road patrol for the safety of our deputies and our residents," he said.

Deremer wants to create a proactive environment by having deputies work more closely with civic associations, other community organizations and residents.

"Our deputies don't have time for that" because they're working hard on so many calls right now, he said.

Deremer, 37, said he has plans to alleviate that workload, freeing deputies for more important duties, and to funnel money into the sheriff's office budget.

"I think we should make criminals pay," he said.

His strategy would involve imposing extra fines on drunken drivers and felony probation violators. For example, a motorist charged with DUI would get an additional penalty of, say, $200 that goes directly to the sheriff's budget.

Among his other ideas, Deremer thinks raises shouldn't be disproportionate. If deputies get a 5 percent increase, then the command staff or department heads shouldn't get more.

He's also a proponent of seizing assets from criminals, specifically drug dealers.

"We need to take their money. We need to take their houses. We need to take their cars," said Deremer, and direct proceeds from those assets into agency coffers.

Deremer, who recently switched from Republican to Democrat, is a graduate of Ridgewood High School and Florida State University. He lives in New Port Richey with his wife and two daughters, ages 5 and 2.

Last month another Democrat, Bobby Kinzy, a 60-year-old retired TECO employee and Vietnam veteran, filed his paperwork with the supervisor of elections office.

Kinzy has no law enforcement background, but considers that an asset, saying he won't owe any favors once he's in office.

He equates his lack of on-the-job experience with any U.S. president who hasn't been in the military but serves as commander in chief of this country's military.

"It's not one of the requirements that you have to have law enforcement experience to run the sheriff's office," he said, adding that it takes leadership skills.

Kinzy was a lead mechanic for TECO's transportation service, he said, plus served as a union contract negotiator and handled multimillion-dollar budgets. He described himself as a great team builder, straightforward and a "no joke kind of guy."

The candidate is concerned that the sheriff's office duplicates other county departments, such as the garage and human resources.

He also wants to see law enforcement bring down high-level drug suppliers rather than the street dealers. Kinzy cites an old Southern adage to back up that plan: "If you want to kill a snake you have to take his head off."

Kinzy grew up in Tampa, graduating from Chamberlain High. He doesn't have a college degree, but says he's taken numerous community college classes. He and his wife live in Moon Lake.

Also running as a Democrat is Kim Bogart, a former sheriff's office captain who was fired when White became Pasco's top law enforcer. Bogart, 55, is executive director of the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission.

Robert Sullivan, a 26-year sheriff's office veteran who led the vice squad for about a decade, is the only Republican challenger trying to depose White. Sullivan, 46, retired as a lieutenant in November, in part, to run for his former boss' job.

After the party primaries in August, the sheriff will be chosen during November's general election.

Sheriff's Race Gets Another Candidate