A day after some of the sharpest attacks yet on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum’s record on crime, Sheriff Walt McNeil is weighing in.
Gillum’s campaign put out a statement from McNeil, who is the constitutionally elected lawman over Leon County, denouncing “the political fear mongering” put out by GOP candidate Ron DeSantis over Tallahassee’s crime rate as “false, dangerous and disrespectful.”
DeSantis zeroed in on mailers sent out by Gillum’s former chief of staff and Tallahassee mayoral candidate Dustin Daniels noting the county’s record homicide rate last year and persistent issues with trying to reduce crime. The mailers drew the attention of Donald Trump Jr., who took to Twitter to criticize Gillum.
Related story: Andrew Gillum set to attend fundraiser tonight for Dustin Daniels’ PAC in mayor bid
McNeil said, while about 80 percent of the crime in the county happens in the city limits, the strides and long hours put in by LCSO deputies and Tallahassee Police officers was not to be overshadowed for political gain.
“Two years ago, I said we had a crime problem. But we don’t have that same crime problem today,” McNeil said in an interview. “It’s offensive for someone for political reasons to start attacking law enforcement and the job we’re doing.”
McNeil pointed to a reduction in the overall crime rate of 15 percent and a drop in all violent crime of 10 percent from 2016 to 2017, resulting in…
