# Grady Judd

Grady Judd (born March 10, 1954) is an American law enforcement officer and serves as the sheriff of Polk County, Florida since 2005.

## Early life and education

Grady Judd was born in Lakeland, Florida, in 1954. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Rollins College, and graduated from the FBI National Academy. He was 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.

## Career

Judd started working for the Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) in 1972 as a dispatcher. As the first employee under the age of 21 in the department, he was required to get his father to purchase his ammunition. At the age of 27, he attained the rank of captain, supervising 44 employees, all of whom were older than he. He was elected as the sheriff of Polk County in 2004, and re-elected in 2008, 2012, and 2016. In the 2020 election campaign, Judd ran unopposed. He was re-elected with over 80% of the vote in 2024 to a sixth term, becoming the first sheriff in that county to serve that many terms. Judd served as an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College.
Judd served as president of the Florida Sheriffs Association (2013–2014) and president of the Major County Sheriffs of America (2018–2019). He is a commissioner on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. Judd served as an active member of the Bartow Rotary Club since 1994, and was a member of the board of directors for the club from 1996 to 1999. Judd has served as an active member and Paul Harris Fellow of the Bartow Rotary Club since 1994, and as a member of the board of directors for the club from 1996 until 1999.
Judd gained publicity as a sheriff with his "tell it how it is" demeanor. In 2006, after a traffic stop resulted in a deputy and his K-9 dog shot and killed, deputies shot and killed the suspect, shooting him 68 times. 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."
In 2020, Judd was appointed by U.S. president Donald Trump to serve a three-year term on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
While the office of sheriff in Polk County is non-partisan, Judd frequently endorses Republican political candidates. In a 2022 news conference, Judd referred to Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis as the "greatest governor in the United States of America."
In 2021, Judd led a six-month undercover investigation with the PCSO into drug sales on three LGBTQ dating apps: Grindr, Scruff, and Taimi, which led to 52 arrests.
Controversy emerged in 2024 over allegations that PCSO detectives under his supervision dismissed reports of child sexual abuse, failing to take the victims’ claims seriously. Reports suggest that detectives, rather than investigating these claims thoroughly, accused some victims of lying, leading to charges against juveniles for false reporting while their alleged abusers remained free. Following additional evidence and further testimonies, some of these abusers have since been convicted, and sentences for lying have been overturned.
In October 2024, a PCSO detective received a letter of retraining over the handling of a child sexual abuse report and was ordered to complete online training regarding interviews and interrogations.
In February 2024, Judd led an eight-day long undercover investigation with the PCSO into human trafficking which resulted in 228 arrests.
In October 2024, Judd spearheaded a five-day long undercover investigation with the PCSO into human trafficking which led to 157 arrests.

## Elections
### 2004

Judd was elected Sheriff of Polk County in his first run for public office. Judd received 64% of the vote in a three-way non-partisan race against attorney and former FBI special agent Kirk Warren (20%) and Polk deputy Pete Karashay (16%).
Judd was preceded in office by Lawrence W. Crow, Jr. who served 17 years as sheriff and declined to run in 2004. Crow was appointed by Governor Bob Martinez in 1987 and served until Judd was sworn into office.

### 2008

Judd was re-elected by defeating write-in candidate Michael Lashman. Judd received 96% of the vote; Lashman received just under 4%.

### 2012

Judd again faced write-in candidate Michael Lashman, a flooring contractor from Lakeland, in his third campaign for sheriff. Judd again won with 96% of the vote, with 215,320 votes.

### 2016

Judd ran for a fourth term of office in 2016 and was elected with 95.3% of the vote compared to 4.7% for write-in ballots.

### 2020

Judd ran for a fifth term of office in 2020 and was re-elected unopposed, making Judd the first sheriff in Polk’s 160-year history to be elected to five terms.

### 2024

Judd ran for a sixth term of office in 2024 and was re-elected with 84% of the vote, making Judd the first sheriff in the history of Polk County to be elected to six terms.

## Professional affiliations

Sheriff Judd was elected president of the Florida Sheriffs Association in 2013. Prior to that, he served as chair for the FSA board of directors and held the positions of treasurer, secretary, and vice president. In 2018, Judd was sworn in as president of the Major County Sheriffs of America for a two-year term, and is now a member of the executive board as immediate past president. In 2019, Judd was appointed by the National Sheriffs' Association to serve on the School Safety and Security Committee.