Grady Judd

Grady Judd (born March 10, 1954) is the current sheriff of Polk County, Florida United States.

Grady Judd
Sheriff of Polk County
Assumed office
January 4, 2005
Preceded byLawrence W. Crow Jr.[1]
Personal details
Born (1954-03-10) March 10, 1954
Lakeland, Florida, United States
Political partyNonpartisan office[2][3]
Spouse(s)Marisa
Children2
Alma mater

Early life and education

Grady Judd was born in Lakeland, Florida, in 1954.[6] He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Rollins College, and has graduated from the FBI National Academy.[5] He has also been awarded two honorary doctorates. Webber International University presented Judd with an Honorary Doctorate of Business in 2015, and Warner University presented him with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Studies in 2020.[7]

Career

Judd started working for the Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) in 1972 as a telephone communicator. As the first employee under the age of 21 in the department's history, he was required to get his father to purchase his ammunition.[4] At the age of 27, he attained the rank of captain, supervising 44 employees, all of whom were older than him.[4] He was elected as the sheriff of Polk County in 2004, and reelected in 2008, 2012, and 2016.[8] In the 2020 election campaign, Judd ran unopposed.[9][10] Judd has served as an adjunct professor at both the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College.[5]

Judd has served as president of the Florida Sheriffs Association (2013-2014)[5] and president of the Major County Sheriffs of America (2018-2019)[5] He is also a commissioner on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.[11] Judd has also served as an active member of the Bartow Rotary Club since 1994[11] and was a member of the Board of Directors for the club from 1996-1999.

Judd gained publicity as a sheriff with his "tell it how it is" demeanor.[8] In 2006, after a deputy and his K-9 dog were shot and killed during a traffic stop, deputies shot and killed the suspect, shooting him 68 times. When asked by a reporter about the number of shots, Judd responded, "That's all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more."[12]

While the office of sheriff in Polk County is nonpartisan,[2] Judd frequently endorses Republican political candidates.[13]

References
  1. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2005-01-06-0501050341-story.html
  2. Palmer, Cathy (July 8, 2020). "Elections for Polk County offices take shape". Four Corners News-Sun. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. "Guide to Elected Officials". Polk County Supervisor of Elections. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  4. Chambliss, John (3 January 2005). "Grady Judd Has Wanted to Be Sheriff Most of His Life". Theledger.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  5. "Sheriff Grady Judd Biography". Polksheriff.org.
  6. "Q & A with Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County Florida". Msnbc.com.
  7. White, Gary. "Warner petition for graduation ceremony draws support". The Ledger. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  8. Florida, News Talk (4 January 2017). "Grady Judd Sworn In For Fourth Term As Polk Sheriff". Newstalkflorida.com. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  9. "No Contest: Grady Judd Will Be Polk County Sheriff 4 More Years". 2020-07-11. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  10. "Polk Sheriff Grady Judd re-elected for four more years after no one ran against him". FOX 13 News. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  11. Association, Florida Sheriffs. "Polk County Sheriff Bio". Florida Sheriffs Association. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  12. Taylor, Gary (2006-10-01). "SWAT teams shot suspect with 68 bullets". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  13. Derby, Kevin (June 12, 2018). "Grady Judd Goes to Bat for Republicans Across Florida". Florida Daily. Retrieved September 22, 2020.


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