Aug. 20 Primary Meet the Candidates: Hernando County Sheriff

All candidates are Republicans so this race will appear on all Primary ballots. This race will be determined in the Primary election. Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide a 150-word bio and respond to our questions within 750 words.

Al Nienhuis(REP)

BIO:
Career:
Sheriff since January 1, 2011.
Elected in 2012; Unopposed 2016; Elected in 2020
Undersheriff Pasco, 01/2001 to 12/2010.
State of Florida, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
Captain, Fort Myers, 1997 – 2000
Lieutenant, Sarasota, 1996 – 1997
Sergeant – Clearwater, 1994 -1996
Clearwater, 1989 – 1994

Education
USF (B.S., Business Management)
Magna Cum Laude
USF (MBA)
Magna Cum Laude
FBI National Academy, Quantico VA (Class 197)

Community Affiliations currently and past include:
Florida Sheriff’s Association Board of Directors
Immediate Past President (100th)
Florida Sheriff’s Ranches Enterprises Board of Directors (Chair)
Region VI Criminal Justice Training Council
Tampa Bay Chiefs of Police – member
Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Dawn Center Board of Directors (chair)
Arc Nature Coast Board of Directors (held executive offices)
YFA Board

Wife: Rhonda
Children: three daughters and 2 grandchildren

Please describe up to three issues that are most important to the Sheriff’s Office and the safety of our residents and how you will address these issues.
First, is keeping our citizens safe. Second, is making them feel safe. Hundreds of surveys are sent every month to callers. The overwhelming majority of returned surveys (over 90%) are positive. A third priority is using technology for serious crimes.

Do you see any areas where the Sheriff’s Office will need to increase funding? How could this be paid for?
We must, as the county grows, maintain sufficient personnel, equipment, and facilities to be effective. The sheriff’s portion of the General Fund budget has decreased from about 45% to 35% over the last decade, well below the combination of growth and inflation.
The proposed sales tax will not cover operational needs. Over the next two or three decades, however, it will help the Board of County Commissioners in its responsibility to provide the Sheriff’s Office with facilities, as explained below.

Do you see any areas where funding/the budget can be cut?
According to Florida Tax Watch, Hernando County ranks 39th of 67 in per capita property taxes, but 56th of 67 in per capita Public Safety spending.
Almost all (85%-90%) of the Sheriff’s Office budget is employee costs. Therefore, cuts would require a reduction in personnel. Since we could currently add about 160 deputies to be average amongst Florida agencies, cuts to staff would not be prudent.
Currently, we are too far behind growth to be able to reduce our funding request. Growth has been exponential, but our number of new deputies has not been. When someone moves into a new home or starts a new business those revenues do not become available to the sheriff for approximately 2 years, or more.

What existing or new projects do you see as necessary to continue or undertake for the improvement of the department?

Although the BOCC commissioned facilities master plan attempts to meet our needs over the next few decades, we have three immediate priorities. First, we need a shooting range and a driving course to meet our high liability training needs. Unfortunately, we must leave the county for a driving course and must do firearms qualification on private property. This shooting range could be sold to a developer at a moment’s notice.
Our second priority is an expansion of our medical wing at the jail. It is a high liability area that is woefully small for our medical and mental health needs.
Lastly, our Property/Evidence and Forensics sections are busting at the seams, making it more and more challenging to adequately process and maintain evidence.

What areas have you found most challenging as Sheriff and how do you plan to overcome these challenges?
Reviewing our surveys and other research has shown that the few times a citizen is unhappy, it is often the result of misinformation on social media. Crime, for example, is down and our case clearances are up. Despite all the misinformation from unreliable sources, we work hard to get the truth out. We will engage even more with our traditional media partners in the coming years to get accurate information out to our citizens.

Why did you go into law enforcement?
I believe holding intentional criminals accountable is the most rewarding way to make a difference. Providing an environment, for example, that allowed my Cold Case detective to solve the Jennifer Odom case, among several other cold cases, gives a sense of satisfaction that cannot be duplicated.

What is your philosophy on balancing public safety and the right to privacy (for instance- Flock type surveillance cameras)?
Sheriff Grady Judd and I discussed this topic at length a couple of weeks ago. He is adamantly against body cameras, but does allow for license plate readers, much like Hernando County. Often, law enforcement deals with situations that do not end up being a crime. It almost always, however, requires discretion on the part of the deputies. Whether it is intoxicated spouses arguing in their underwear or a family member who has taken his or her own life, law enforcement is the only area of government that is consistently in the most intimate areas of our lives during our most vulnerable times. Although body camera videos may or may not be a public record, they are always retained by the government (and often a private company), usually in the cloud. We know, all too well, in Hernando County that no data is entirely safe.
Sheriff Judd pointed out that about 250,000 people die every year from medical malpractice (his source is apparently a Johns Hopkins study). Yet, no one is calling for doctors to wear body cameras.
Let us contrast that with license plate readers (Flock is a company that provides that service). Taking a picture of the rear of a car that doesn’t even capture a picture of the driver cannot be compared.
Furthermore, license plate readers, like those on the Suncoast Parkway, have led to us solving several of the most serious Hernando County crimes, including the murder-for-hire of a teenager in Brooksville.
Unfortunately, the more we talk about license plate readers, the more likely criminals will attempt to circumvent their abilities.

Candidate Joe Puglia (REP) did not respond to our questions.