Sheriff candidates aim to reduce crime in Indian River County and improve community relations

Sheriff candidates unveil plans to reduce crime and improve community relations.Three sheriff candidates in Indian River County are unveiling their plans to reduce crime and improve community relations.“Bad guys know that Indian River County is not a place to have fun.”“Our staff knows that I am not one of those people who micromanages.”“I have a long history of giving my staff the authority they need to do their jobs,” said acting Sheriff Eric Flowers.Flowers wants to continue reducing crime by leveraging technology and improving morale.“I can tell you that what has happened in our country, at the border, over the last few years is going to have a significant impact on our country, on our cities and our counties across the nation,” Flowers said, emphasizing his focus on illegal immigration after a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.Milo Thornton, a Treasure Coast native with decades of law enforcement experience, was previously Deputy Chief of Corrections for the Sheriff's Office.I have had the fortunate opportunities and good fortune to oversee and manage every department of the Sheriff's Office in Indian River County. office,” Thornton said. “Every department and every area, on both sides of the House, law enforcement and corrections, which is very unique.””None of my opponents have that experience,” Thornton said.Thornton plans to address cybercrime and assign more officers to drug and traffic enforcement.”I've always had the mindset of doing more with less,” Thornton said. “We're going to do that with the existing positions and redistribute personnel to address the issues that are important to our community.”Keith Touchberry, the current Fellsmere police chief and a Marine Corps veteran, also brings a unique perspective to the campaign. “And since he's the only veteran in this race, I think that's a compelling factor,” Touchberry said. “The leadership lessons you learn while serving our country, especially in the Marine Corps infantry, are pretty significant.” Touchberry plans to focus on building relationships with organizations that help fight crime. “The more we partner with these organizations and become part of the solution, the more we're going to work together to reduce crime and improve our quality of life,” Touchberry said. “Ultimately, it comes down to leadership.” The candidates also discussed how they plan to strengthen the relationship between police and the community. “I'm committed to improving the culture and morale and making sure those things are intact before we send our personnel out into our community.” “That's how you build relationships.” “When you have a healthy agency that's free of dictatorship and favoritism,” Thornton said. “I like showing body cams and being really transparent about all the things that we do.” “A lot of times it's just misunderstandings and being willing to sit down and talk to people.” “Is the biggest component of good community relations.” “And I think over the last four years, I've proven that I'm willing to do that at any level,” Flowers said. “We'll walk around a little bit and talk and knock on doors.” “We're going to take those deputies out there so they can hear what they're saying for themselves.” “We're going to hold hearings.” “We're going to hold town hall meetings, whatever it takes,” Touchberry said. Stay Up to Date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.