TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

NO. 2: SHERIFF BENTON RE-ELECTED

ADVERTISEMENT

By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: December 31, 2008

Updated: 12/31/2008 09:23 am

SEBRING - A hard-fought race for Highlands County Sheriff ended Nov. 4 with the re-election of Susan Benton.

The incumbent - Florida's only elected female sheriff - defeated challenger Ron Grimming, a Florida Highway Patrol commander in the mid-1990s, 24,099 votes to 19,615.

"I think it's awesome," Benton said after the election. "Now we've got a lot of work to do the next four years."

Some of the focal points of the campaign included the construction of a new sheriff's law enforcement building, proper storage of evidence collected and crime trends in the county.

That new building would cost $11.2 million. Benton was in favor of the construction because she said the present facility has inadequate space for communications, crime labs and separation of public and secure areas.

Grimming said the new facility would not make the county safer and now was not the time to build such a structure in light of people struggling in the poor economy.

The challenger also said he would "provide effective leadership" to start programs ensuring no evidence collected would ever be lost.

Benton previously said that an evidence examination showed that around 99.7 percent of 38,000 pieces of evidence were held securely, and missing items did not affect pending cases.

With her second term secure, Benton's plans include accrediting the jail, enacting a program to make teens better drivers and tasking more detectives to solve cases.

"I couldn't have done it without the absolute dedication of the men and women of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office," Benton previously said.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT