There’s a new sheriff in town.
Osceola County Sheriff Jim Crawford officially retired from the spot New Year’s Eve and with the new year comes a new top cop, his undersheriff Justin Halladay.
“ I figured it be in my last four years I just didn’t count on things happening in between,” says Crawford.
Health and a desire to relax and enjoy life pushed Crawford to hang up his badge and turn in his gun at the end of the year.
“It’s always interesting there’s never really a slow day,” says Crawford.
There are many different paths you can take to become a sheriff but the one that share of Crawford took to get to his office was one of the more unusual ones. He didn’t even become a true police officer until the age of 49.
“I dispatched for a few years and then I worked in corrections for a few years and then I went to marine and then the sheriff decided I could be a deputy,” says Crawford, “So I decided at age 49 I’d go to the police academy.”
The new boss will be a familiar face, his undersheriff for the last decade, Halladay was appointed to the position to serve for the rest of the term.
“I pretty much decided then that this was the guy that needed to take over when the time was right,” says Crawford.
“He was open to my ideas,” says Halladay, “We work together it wasn’t anything more than a partnership.”
Halladay says he learned how to run the department from Crawford and plans to keep the department right where it’s at.
“They won’t notice anything different,” says Crawford, “When they call 911, a deputy will be there. When they need help, we’re going to be here. When they call for me, I’m still going to be here. My phone number is the same.”
Only difference is there is no boss to watch over him, he’s now in charge, with all the glory and responsibility that comes along with it.
“It’s kind of surreal,” says Halladay, “In a moment you sit back and say ‘I don’t have to answer to anyone I have to answer to everyone.’”
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