ORLANDO, Fla. — Voters will have to decide in November who will become Orange County’s next Sheriff.

Current Sheriff Jerry Demings is leaving the post at the end of the year after being elected to become Orange County’s new Mayor.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina, retired Florida Highway Patrol Chief Joe Lopez, and Orlando entrepreneur Darryl Sheppard are campaigning to replace Demings as the county’s top law enforcement officer.

The successor chosen by voters Nov. 6 will take over an agency with 2,200 civilian and law enforcement employees and a budget of more than $250 million.

Each of the candidates met with Spectrum News 13 for a series of interviews airing this week, as well as on Political Connections.

Each discussed common ideals to reduce crime and grow community relations.

The Candidates

JOHN MINA (No Party Affiliation)

Mina currently works as Chief of Police for the City of Orlando, a job he’s held since 2014.

With more than 27 years of experience in law enforcement, Mina is a U.S. Army veteran who has held various command and supervisor roles throughout the years at Orlando Police Department.

Mina currently oversees an agency with nearly 1,000 civilian and law enforcement employees and a budget of more than $162 million.

“The two agencies are very, very similar, and I think that’s why I have the advantage going into this election; I’ve run the biggest police department in all of Central Florida,” Mina said.

Mina admits there are challenges that continue to face law enforcement in Orange County. Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s 2017 Uniform Crime Report shows crime statewide is at a 42 year low, in which Mina says he has led a 6 percent reduction in crime in the city of Orlando.

Despite the numbers, Mina says his department has made great strides.

“My top priority is always going to be a reduction in crime prevention,” Mina said. “It’s important to get the community’s help and some people are less likely to come forward, whether it’s a fear of retribution or maybe lack of trust in law enforcement; so it’s my job as sheriff to make sure we gain that trust, and I think the city of Orlando has seen great results.”

Mina also has played a role in helping to organize various community based events and gatherings in efforts to build relationships between community members and officers.

“Some of the things I’d like to see bolstered in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is the Neighborhood Watch Program,” Mina said. “There can’t be a deputy on every single street, so that’s why we need the community’s help, and that’s how we catch most of the bad guys because community members call, and they see us, and they remember that’s what the Neighborhood Watch Program is all about.”

Mina is campaigning to bring improved transparency to OCSO if elected, saying he has held officers at OPD “more accountable than we have in the past."

Mina has earned the endorsements of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93, Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, Orange County Fire Fighters Association 1365, and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, among others.

JOE LOPEZ (No Party Affiliation)

Lopez also has a big vision if elected as Orange County Sheriff.

Lopez retired nearly two years ago as a Chief from Florida Highway Patrol. The retired U.S. Marine spent the final part of his 32-year law enforcement career as a FHP’s Troop K Commander, overseeing more than 250 troopers assigned to the Orlando and Florida Turnpike region.

Lopez currently works in the security division for one of Orlando’s major theme park companies.

“We have to make sure we have enough deputies on patrol -- that’s the bread and butter,” Lopez said.

If elected, Lopez says he wants to ensure the agency is appropriately staffed and funded. That would begin with an outside audit, Lopez said, to ensure resources are effectively used.

Lopez points out to Orange County’s rapidly growing population, and the more than 70 million tourists who visit Central Florida each year, as elements that can impact law enforcement resources.

Lopez says he wants to see an OCSO agency that puts community policing first in the overall effort to reduce crime.

“One way of doing it is to have town halls. We have to have more town halls as our conduit to the community,” Lopez said. “What’s important is that the community feels valued, and that doesn’t mean we’re going to go there and listen. We’re going to actively listen. We’re going to come back and make sure initiatives are working, and if they’re not working, we’ll go back to the drawing board.”

Lopez said his three-decade career proves his ability to hold employees accountable and to bring transparency into a large public agency.

Lopez's endorsements include Central Florida Police Benevolent Association.

DARRYL SHEPPARD (Democrat)

Sheppard is the only partisan and non-law enforcement experienced candidate in the race to become Orange County Sheriff. 

Sheppard is a native Floridian and entrepreneur who has lived in Central Florida for 15 years.

“I do represent change. I don’t represent the status quo, so I am different,” Sheppard said.

Conflicts between communities and law enforcement became a spark for Sheppard, who said rising tensions between citizens and officers became his motivation to run for office.

“I know my morals, I know my character, I know that I was going to do the right thing, and I said I have to stand up for something in the same way people before me,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard says he would like to expand some policies in place, including decriminalizing drug possession for those with small amounts of marijuana. He is also not in favor of detaining undocumented immigrants, a measure City of Orlando commissioners doubled-down on in recent months.

“I think when you deal with the community, you have to show respect no matter the situation or scenario,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard admits he is also the only candidate in the race for Sheriff with an arrest record. He has been arrested multiple times in recent years on various charges, but he has not been convicted nor prosecuted in those cases.

Sheppard says those experiences have given him an insight to best serve as Sheriff.

“We have a constitution in this country, and it’s allowed to have due process, so regardless if I feel you’re guilty or innocent, you should still be treated with the same level of respect,” Sheppard said. “So, I’ve seen the side where law enforcement hasn’t been as respectful, and I’ve seen the side where law enforcement has been very respectful, so I want to make sure we hold law enforcement accountable, and be transparent and make sure we’re consistent with treating and dealing with citizens.”

Sheppard says his goal would be to grow accountability inside OCSO and trust outside the agency by finding ways to create meaningful relationships between law enforcement officers and residents.

A graduate of Florida A&M University, Sheppard has spent the past 15 years running a business focused on investments. He says that experience gives him the leadership skills needed to run an agency such as OCSO.

Voters will decide during the Nov. 6 General Election who will become Orange County’s next Sheriff.