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Former Sheriff Sadie Darnell: Elect Emery Gainey

Letter to the editor

In 2006, Emery Gainey and I were opponents campaigning for the highly responsible position of Alachua County Sheriff. He and I ran professional campaigns, even though we were of different political parties and had different approaches to various issues.

It is important for you to know there is a significant difference between the 2006 campaign and the one today in 2024. In 2006, regardless of who won, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office would have been under the leadership of a veteran law enforcement professional.

In the upcoming election, if Emery Gainey is not elected, in my opinion, it will revert to the downward spiral of the Watson debacle.

It has often been said that past behavior is often a good indicator of future performance. Look no further back than the recent failed Alachua County Sheriff’s Office administration led by Clovis Watson, 2021-2023:

  • Approximately 250 employees left in that short two-year period. This was unprecedented, demoralizing, and created dangerous staffing shortages. During Watson’s short tenure, Chad Scott was a high-ranking administrator and, over the years, has been closely associated with Watson in various positions within small agencies of the City of Alachua.
  • Chad Scott was fired under my administration for misconduct having to do with payroll, i.e., your tax dollars. After payroll staff noticed several questionable entries, an internal investigation was initiated. The investigation sustained eight counts of untruthfulness and four counts of theft.

Emery and I have remained colleagues in our work over the years with the Florida Sheriff’s Association and Florida Attorney General’s Office.

Please consider the caliber of person you want to run a powerful public safety organization with a budget of over $120 million dollars and close to 1000 employees. For me the choice is clear: Emery Gainey has a demonstrated track record of which any law enforcement professional would be proud. Please vote to elect Emery Gainey as the next Alachua County Sheriff.

Sadie Darnell, Alachua County Sheriff- fourteen years, 2006-2020 (Retired)

The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Assertions of facts in letters are similarly the responsibility of the author. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.

  • Gainey is he clear choice. He has a proven track record of excellence. More importantly he worked his way up the chain.

    I would follow this man trough hell. He would bring you out,.

    • I no longer live in alachua county I have met Sheff Gainey‘s younger brother and he’s anything like his brother he’s a fine man and I would vote for him if I still lived there

  • Nice to see someone with both experience, and “inside” knowledge endorse a member of the opposing party based on character, integrity and results – not associations.

    Alachua County voters, take heed to what former Sheriff Darnell is saying; recognize and acknowledge what lies ahead if you don’t. Now is not the time to fall along party lines just because the so-called leaders have instructed you to.

  • I don’t have a lot of experience with Gainey, only interacted a few times in various meetings, but but this man is exactly who we need. He is smart, civil, educated, and doesnt kowtow to any noisy liberal leader, such as commissioners, public defenders, or others who try to slide lies and half-truths across the table, hoping that no one will notice.
    He’s impressive and the man we need to keep the crap from hitting the fan again.

  • What a professional and comprehensive analysis of the progress made by Sheriff Gainey in his short time doing active triage in the wake of his immediate predecessors’ negative impact to the entire Sheriff’s department. I need only look to the feedback I have received from EVERY, as in, 100%, of the deputies I have spoken with over these past several months. Without hesitation, every deputy immediately responds with a “team Gainey” vote. As one deputy said when our families were eating dinner together, “previously, it had become difficult to summon up the energy just to go to work. Now, it’s like an extension of your family.” I stand fully in support of Sheriff Gainey!!

  • This is all I need to see:

    “It has often been said that past behavior is often a good indicator of future performance. Look no further back than the recent failed Alachua County Sheriff’s Office administration led by Clovis Watson, 2021-2023:
    Approximately 250 employees left in that short two-year period. This was unprecedented, demoralizing, and created dangerous staffing shortages. During Watson’s short tenure, Chad Scott was a high-ranking administrator and, over the years, has been closely associated with Watson in various positions within small agencies of the City of Alachua.
    Chad Scott was fired under my administration for misconduct having to do with payroll, i.e., your tax dollars. After payroll staff noticed several questionable entries, an internal investigation was initiated. The investigation sustained eight counts of untruthfulness and four counts of theft.”

    Vote for Scott if you want more of the same of our local government, where they are not accountable for their incompetence.
    I choose to vote for Gainey who has proven that he can lead his staff, raise the bar of expectation of our community and represent Alachua County in the positive light we deserve.

  • Excellent endorsement by Sheriff Darnell. Please vote to keep Sheriff Gainey Alachua County Sheriff.

  • OK, but Sadie’s recommendations are suspect after endorsing that weasel Rick Scott for the Senate. He was the CEO of a Hospital that was found guilty of fraud and fined $1.7 billion, the highest ever at that time. How do you think someone like that is fit for office?

    I’ll go elsewhere for advice.

    • And if you fired a person, you not going to have anything good to say about them. Even if the person has proved themselves otherwise. And don’t forget Sadie’s track record.

      • I would imagine if Chad Scott believed he was falsely accused and unfairly fired there would have been a civil litigation and a wrongdoing done right… this was not the case – this should speak volumes to many!

    • I agree with you 100%!!! I’m surprised she can remember his name without help. I’ll wait until someone more reliable gives an opinion.

  • Sadie Darnell you are an evil individual. You treated Gainey like crap when you took office. You took his Silver GMC Envoy, his office, a larger computer monitor and moved him to the Department of the Jail with no authority. Gainey cried to me personally indicating he had never driven a patrol vehicle w/o blue lights in his entire career. You moved me to the court house because as a little ole Deputy Sheriff I supported Gainey because he was the Coronal under Sheriff Oelrich. For you to demoralize Sheriff Scott 18 years later and betray to the citizens that you and Gainey has the wonderful relationship says a lot you and him. I even question your political party at this point. Being you were fired by the citizens of Alachua County enjoy your retirement and be careful how you continue place your mouth on God’s child. It’s not up to you at this point it’s up to the citizens of the county. Live your life because you are no longer a factor. Chad Scott for Sheriff of Alachua County… Ex-Deputy Tramel Brown…

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