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Highlands Today

Candidate Files For Sheriff

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By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: October 17, 2007

By any standard, Ronald Grimming's credentials are impressive. He was the deputy director of the Illinois Highway Patrol, and he commanded the Florida Highway Patrol as well.

When he retired from the FHP in 1998, he was named director of Miami-Dade College's School of Justice. When the college started its own police force, he became the police chief. And after 9/11, he took over as the college's director of Homeland Security as well.

In June 2006, Grimming retired from that job and moved to Lake Placid, and this summer he decided to run for sheriff of Highlands County.

Why? Grimming, 62, has no shortage of ideas:

- "Reducing crime through new enforcement programs and techniques, which will ultimately make our community safer.
- "Improving crime solving capabilities and focusing on career criminals. That is important (because ) you have 20 percent of the criminals committing 80 percent of the crimes.

- "Reduce the rate of growth of the county and sheriff's budget."

Grimming would not specify the new enforcement programs and techniques, or how he would reduce the budget. Sheriff Susan Benton has 330 total employees, which includes 132 law enforcement personnel.

"I have some specific plans that I'm not really prepared to discuss at this point in time," Grimming said. "The proposals are there, they are tried and true, they are things that I have utilized in the past. And they will certainly come out during the course of the campaign. But obviously, I think that there are things that can be done that will certainly reduce crimes in the county. There will be programs that will be tailored to do those specific things."

The budget is $27 million now, what should it be?

"The details and the specifics are going to come out during the course of the campaign, but I think that we have got to – an important part of this campaign is going to be bringing government spending under control and operating in as efficient and effective manner as is possible."

Grimming is not well known in Lake Placid. Even State Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, has not met him. He has impressed Justine Devlin, who chairs the Highlands County Republican Party.

"He would bring professionalism to a very important position in our county," said Devlin, "especially since he has dealt with large populations. Our county is growing and will need someone with experience in dealing with the inevitable increase of crime that will follow."

A biography Grimming presented said he has a 33-year background in law enforcement, beginning in 1970 as a special agent with the Illinois State Police. When he left, he was deputy director, supervising 2,500 officers in the investigative and patrol divisions.

In 1993, he applied for the job to command the Florida Highway Patrol, and was selected among 80 candidates. As director, Grimming managed 1,740 patrol officers and 529 civilians with an annual budget exceeding $135 million. He implemented *FHP, an emergency cell calling system for motorists to report road rage, DUIs, accidents and incidents on the highways.

He started at Miami-Dade College in 1998, training students for law enforcement, corrections and security officer positions. He has written three college textbooks on criminal and juvenile justice, which were published by Prentice Hall. He is currently president of Law Enforcement Training and Consulting Services.

His wife, Karen Grimming, is a retired nurse and now serves as campaign treasurer.

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