TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)-- I kind of felt like the dog that was chasing the car, I caught the car and now what am I going to do with it,” said Sheriff-Elect Charlie Creel.
Sheriff-elect Charlie Creel won't officially be sworn in until Tuesday but he's already on the job, working out of a transition office at the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office since November.
A 30 year veteran with the Florida Highway Patrol, Creel eventually left law enforcement for the private sector. Then in 2008 he lost his first bid for sheriff.
But won just a few months ago.
“I said you know I think I can do a better job and I said I’m going to run,” said Creel.
Now elected, Creel says he's working to implement some new ideas to make Wakulla County a safer, and more enjoyable place to live. Efforts include eliminating drug trafficking and bringing back neighborhood watch programs.
“Our neighborhood watch programs kinda fallen by the wayside these last few years, we're going to reinstitute our neighborhood watch programs,” said Creel.
Working with his new Undersheriff, Clarence Morrison, Creel says he also wants to put together a teen driving challenge and a summer camp for at risk youth.
“We want them to continue getting the same good service that they've had over the past years.”
But Creel says some of these changes may take some time.
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So we just have to take one program and work on it, another program and work on it. One bite at a time,” he said.
They are changes that will officially begin on Tuesday at 4 pm at the Wakulla County Courthouse.
