Earlier this week, Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary sent this message to the media.
I am tired off party politics. I am tired of the bickering and not getting anything accomplished for the American people.
In Washington, we refuse to address the emerging violent crime problems, pretending one does not exist.In Florida, our violent crime issues have fallen on deaf ears. Our juvenile crime rate is skyrocketing and we don’t want to address the problems.
In Orange County we don’t address public safety needs as they relate to growth and increasing tourism. Maybe it’s time for Republicans and Democrats to put people first and not their party agenda.
I find this interesting. Kevin decided to leave the party during the week after mid-term elections changed the balance of power in Congress to Democratic control. When Republicans were in power, Kevin was a Republican. He sits in an elected office as a member of the same party of those who were in power. Why is he venting this frustration now? Did Kevin Beary have a difficult time getting help from Washington politicians?
A day before the Sheriff’s announcement, a member of his SWAT team violated department policy by leaving high-powered automatic weapons in the passenger compartment of his SUV. A couple of teenagers stole the weapons. Fortunately, they recovered the weapons today. Unfortunately, they recovered them after a drive-by shooting. Someone got the tag number and that lead deputies to the arrest.
I originally wondered if Sheriff Beary made his announcement about leaving the Republican party as a diversion form the news about the stolen weapons. Although this is a decision that most likely would’ve been going through his mind for a while, the timing seemed about right to change the news headlines (which it did).
The part that I don’t truly understand is how denouncing his political party is going to change anything. What does Washington politics have to do with decisions made by state and municipal politicians? Growth and tourism are local issues, not national concerns. Although the rest of the country may have traded-in its politicians, the picture in Central Florida is pretty much remaining in the status quo.
Ultimately, Kevin Beary is a politician and well versed in self-promotion. His approach is generally blunt and, to my mind, unprofessional. One cannot deny his ability to manipulate people and get his way. The fun part is trying to figure out what he wants with this latest stunt.