Sheriff Dennis Lemma was elected to the office for the Seminole County Sheriff’s office in January of 2017. Sheriff Lemma is a former US Marine and he holds degrees in criminal justice administration and administrative leadership. He’s also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Virginia.
Sheriff Lemma is not only charged with leading his own workforce — he must also interface with complex environments in his own county to include issues associated with the complexity of things like domestic violence, homelessness, and human trafficking. It doesn’t get more complex than this.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why Sheriff Dennis Lemma chose a life of public service and safety in the Marines and then as a public servant
- What Sheriff Lemma has learned from both good and bad leaders and how mentors throughout his life shaped his morals
- How the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office operates differently from other law enforcement agencies in an effort to lift up the community
- Why Seminole County, Florida had the highest homeless population in the country and how the county has worked to assist homeless families
- Sheriff Lemma’s thoughts on the national conversation about police violence
- How Sheriff Lemma handled the most difficult and emotionally painful criminal cases of his career
- Why Sheriff Lemma believes that transparency and trust are crucial components of working with the community
- What you can do to assist your local law enforcement in building and strengthening your community
- How Sheriff Lemma balances his professional responsibilities with his family life
- How Seminole County is addressing the challenges presented by the opioid epidemic
- Sheriff Lemma’s advice to people interested in choosing criminal justice as a career
Ways to contact Sheriff Dennis Lemma:
- Website: www.seminolesheriff.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/SeminoleSheriff