The Vero Beach Young Republicans Candidate meet & greet
- August 5, 2024
- keithtouchberry
- Touchberry News
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Never in my adult life have I known a time when I trusted elected officials less than I do now. We don’t need elected officials. We need leaders. Jesus Christ taught leadership when He washed the feet of his disciples. And when he healed the sick, took care of the needy, and fed the hungry. But most of all, Christ taught leadership when he was tortured and died on the cross for our sins, the ultimate price in service to others. Jesus taught and inspired with His words, but it was his example that changed the world forever more.
True leaders are people who selflessly serve others and make decisions based on what is best for those they are responsible for and the greater good rather than their selfish interests.
Keith Touchberry, I have discovered, is a leader. He first served his country in the Marine Corps. He then devoted his life to serving the community in law enforcement. He serves his family and his friends, and most importantly to him, he serves God as a devoted Christian.
Keith Touchberry’s life has been devoted to serving, and to leadership. God has placed the desire in his heart to become the next Sheriff of Indian River County.
When we first met a few months ago, I had some tough questions for him. As a former law enforcement officer I wanted to know how he would solve problems, what he thought the problems were, and why, and I wanted to know what it would be like to work for him as a street cop. I have worked for some good leaders, and I have worked for many colossally poor ones. Before Keith was going to earn my vote, I wanted to make sure I would be serving my community by doing my part to elect the right candidate.
He took the hard questions well, and I was impressed by his philosophies on law enforcement, problem-solving, and most of all, serving the men and women on the street and in the jail that keep us safe. After more than one lengthy conversation I realized this man had no desire to be just an elected official, he was a true leader who not only had the capability, experience, and knowledge to be an outstanding Sheriff; but he explained that he was here to serve those in his charge and create a culture where the Sheriffs department in turn served the community the same way.
When I realized I was listening to him and wishing I was younger and could work under his leadership, I knew I had to get behind his efforts and share what I knew about him.
This episode is 1 hour and 7 minutes long and while that time is limited, I think you will come away, like I did, knowing this man well enough to want to support him in his bid for Sheriff.
Article was found @ https://goodladunscripted.com/2024/07/26/podcast-keith-touchberry-for-sheriff-and-this-is-why/
Indian River County sheriff’s candidate Keith Touchberry has 35 years of experience with law enforcement. He served as a Vero Beach officer and is the police chief of Fellsmere. Watch his interview with WPTV here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/republican-keith-touchberry-explains-why-145906022.html?
TCPalm’s editorial board recorded its interview with Indian River County sheriff’s candidates. The video above is the full, unedited interview. The board plans to make a candidate recommendation on July 28.
The Sunshine Journal gives their thought on the Indian River County Sheriff’s Debate – https://thomasaugustus.substack.com/p/the-sheriffs-debate-was-a-fascinating?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
Do a simple a straw poll among your impartial friends, if you can find any concerning this race, and most will say that Fellsmere Chief of Police, Keith Touchberry, won this debate. Others believe it too.
Mr. Touchberry has been Fellsmere’s chief since 2013 and has 35 years of law enforcement experience. He started his career in 1989 as a Vero Beach police officer. He worked his way through the ranks to senior Captain (there wasn’t a “deputy chief”) before taking the Fellsmere position.
In January, Chief Touchberry was endorsed for Indian River County Sheriff by the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FLPCA). He led the FLPCA as its president in 2022-2023. He has a Masters in Criminal Justice from UCF. In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, he developed a college course, Future Educators Response To Emergency Situations, which teaches classroom safety and response in emergencies as part of an Education degree program. The Florida Department of Education is implementing the university level curriculum statewide.
However, in his answer about leadership, his understanding came directly from military service. Chief Touchberry gave the money quote from the debate. “I went to the greatest school of leadership, and that’s the United States Marine Corp.” he said causing an eruptive applause. He continued, “It is based on servant leadership. You take care of your people before you take care of yourself. You are not driven by self-interest or influenced by special interest, you are motivated by community interest. You do what you have to do, because that is what you signed on to do, and that is what people expect you to do.”
Touchberry’s understanding of leadership went beyond just having the backs of his officers, which was an important point made by Sheriff Flowers. It addressed the whole community of policing and respecting all officers within the county for the sake of themselves and the citizens they serve.
Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry graduated from the FBI National Command Course in Virginia on May 19.
Chief Touchberry completed the training while also serving as the president of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the third largest chiefs association in the United States. He will remain in that FPCA position until August.
The FBI National Command Course was developed in 2020 to provide leadership training for police executives in departments with fewer than 50 sworn officers.
Participants must be the chief executive of a domestic law enforcement agency with fewer than 50 sworn personnel, and must be nominated to participate in the NCC.
According to the FBI, “the National Command Course was developed to fill a void in FBI strategic leadership training programs for policing executives. Law enforcement agencies with fewer than 50 sworn employees comprise over 80% of departments, yet leaders of these agencies often lack funding and/or manpower availability to send employees away for weeks at a time to attend nationally recognized executive leadership programs.”
Chief Touchberry announced last November that he was joining the 2024 race for Indian River County Sheriff. He began his law enforcement career in 1989, after serving six and a half years on active duty in the Marine Corps Infantry.
Chief Touchberry was hired by the Vero Beach Police Department in 1989. He left VBPD in 2013 to become the Chief of Police for the Fellsmere P.D.
Chief Touchberry has a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida. In July he will teach a 24-hour Criminal Justice Leader Ethics course to law enforcement officers at Indian River State College. He is also adjunct faculty at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, and is the primary Ethics Instructor for that institution’s online Baccalaureate Criminal Justice degree program.
Article posted on Hometown News
Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry is running for sheriff again.
Touchberry, 58, who filed the required paperwork with the Supervisor of Elections Office last week, was the runner-up to now-Sheriff Eric Flowers in the 2020 Republican primary.
Touchberry, though, sees himself as a stronger candidate now, having raised his stature beyond being a small-town police chief. In fact, he was inducted as president of the 1,000-member Florida Police Chiefs Association in August.
Last week, Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry officially entered the sheriff’s 2024 race in Indian River County.
Touchberry, 58, told Sebastian Daily that he’s running for the same reason he did in 2020, which is the need to improve the leadership and culture of the organization.
“Employees want fair, impartial, and consistent leadership, especially when it comes to promotions, transfers, and other tangible aspects of their careers. Many do not feel valued, morale is low, and turnover can be expected as a result,” said Touchberry. “The community’s trust in this organization is waning, and citizens want change. They do not like the headlines they are reading. I have consistently been encouraged to run as a result, and support for my candidacy is high.”
Officer wellness, recruitment and retention are just three of the priorities Police Chief Keith Touchberry is setting for himself as he takes on the presidency of the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
Touchberry, 58, was sworn in as president by Fellsmere Mayor Joel Tyson the second week of August during the association’s 70th Summer Training Conference in Palm Beach Gardens.
Also continuing on the Florida Police Chief’s Association board overseeing District 6 for another year is Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey.