Jerry Demings was drawn to public service by a calling to help rid our community of drug dealers after his brother became an addict.
Jerry grew up in West Orlando. After college he applied to become a bank examiner and was encouraged by an FBI recruiter to gain law enforcement experience.
He joined the Orlando police department with the expectation he would stay for a few years and then move on but grew to love the job and working with the community.
Jerry was appointed Orlando Police Chief where he worked with the community to decrease crime.
As Orlando Police Chief Jerry Demings he was instrumental in bringing Orlando together after 9/11 which impacted the Orlando airport.
He emphasized community service and youth engagement which helped build trust and partnerships between law enforcement and the community.
Working together homicides in Orlando dropped nearly 30%, aggravated assaults dropped 10%, and sex offenses dropped by nearly 6%.
He was elected Sheriff of Orange County where he innovated to reduce crime and make the criminal justice system fairer and more efficient.
As Orange County Sheriff, Jerry Demings was one of the first to deploy police body-worn cameras. He also put updated radios and GPS in patrol cars to modernize the Sheriff’s office. He realigned deputies from administrative duties to patrol and first-response roles to increase visibility and proactive policing.
These efforts helped to reduce overall crime by 30% and violent crime by 34% in his tenure. Throughout his career he balanced budgets and returned over $10 million to taxpayers.
After the PULSE nightclub shooting he worked to bring Orange County together to mourn, remember, and heal.
As Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is lowering costs for Florida families.
Jerry Demings is working to make Central Florida more affordable for working families by committing $160 million over 10 years for affordable and workforce housing, investing in transportation to ease congestion and make roads and sidewalks safer, and investing in first responders to keep our community safe.