- November 17, 2025
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly with his wife Debbie at a reception celebrating Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Congressman Randy Fine attended an event celebrating Sheriff Rick Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly gives his wife Debbie roses at a reception celebrating Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sheriff Rick Staly celebrated 50 years in law enforcement on Nov. 4, 2025. Photo by Sierra Williams
Palm Coast Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, on behalf of the city, presented Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly with a key to the city of Palm Coast. Photo by Sierra Williams
Palm Coast Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, on behalf of the city, presented Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly with a key to the city of Palm Coast. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly with his wife Debbie at a reception celebrating Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Congressman Randy Fine attended an event celebrating Sheriff Rick Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly shakes hands with Flagler Commission Chair Andy Dance after the Flagler County Commission has read a proclamation renaming the FCSO Operations Center after Staly. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly in front of a photo of him as a teenager in a youth deputy program. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler County's local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution presents Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly with a Medal of Heroism for the 1978 incident where Staly was shot while protecting a fellow officer. Photo by Sierra Williams
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook hugs her former mentor and Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. Photo by Sierra Williams
Elected officials from Flagler County, Flagler residents, several Sheriffs from across the state and representatives of local organizations showed up at a reception celebrating Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly's 50 years in law enforcement. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. Photo by Sierra Williams
Elected officials from across Flagler County – and some from across Florida – came together on Nov. 4 to celebrate Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly’s 50 years in law enforcement.
“It's extraordinary to do anything for 50 years,” Congressman Randy Fine said. “Particularly something that is as important to our citizens as law enforcement.”
Organized chiefly by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge, a surprise reception was held at the FCSO Operations Center in Staly’s honor. During the reception, the Flagler County Commission, led by Commission Chair Andy Dance, read a proclamation announcing the Flagler County Sheriff’s Operation be renamed after Staly.
The meeting room was packed with people supporting and celebrating Staly’s success, and several of whom gifted Staly with plaques in honor of his success, including the Flagler County chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, which awarded Staly with a Medal of Heroism in honor of his service and the 1978 incident where Staly was shot three times while protecting a fellow deputy.
On behalf of Palm Coast, Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri also presented Staly with a key to the city of Palm Coast. Speaking as a resident and a new mother, Pontieri thanked Staly for the work he does.
“You go above and beyond to really keep us safe, to do it with integrity and with heart and, as was stated, with compassion,” she said. “I feel good knowing that my son will grow up in this community.”
Parkview Church Pastor Greg Peters said one thing Staly has not lost over his 50 years of law enforcement service, beyond his courage and conviction, is his compassion.
“Quite honestly, you're serving in a role where it could be easy to become jaded, hang on to courage and conviction and lose your compassion,” Peters said.
Staly, who is in his third term as Flagler’s sheriff, began his career in 1975 as a police officer at the Oviedo Police Department. He then served as an officer at the Altamonte Springs Police Department, then began as a deputy sheriff in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 1977.
He worked there for 23 years, eventually becoming Undersheriff, before retiring from the public sector in 2001. He returned to law enforcement public service in 2013 when he joined the FCSO, and was elected as sheriff in 2016.
Florida Rep. Sam Greco and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott could not attend the reception in person but both wrote letters congratulating Staly that were read aloud by FCSO Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge. Greco said Staly is “a man whose name is synonymous with service, integrity and courage.”
“He's built a culture of compassion, accountability and pride, one where every deputy, correction officer, dispatcher, volunteer, understands that they have a purpose in their work,” Greco wrote. “Sheriff Staly exemplifies true leadership, defined not by rank or title but by character. He shows up when others cannot stand. He stands firm in moments of crisis.”
Along the way Staly left an impact with many of his fellow law enforcement officers. Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said, as a new sheriff, Staly took her under his wing. She called him a “man of integrity.”
“You know that Staly is always going to do the right thing,” she said. “Even when it's really hard.”
Staly, Cook said, is always prepared and ready to work. The hard decisions he has to make as a sheriff, she said, are always grounded in faith.
“For me watching you,” Cook told Staly, “you are the epitome, the example, the benchmark of what every sheriff in the state should be doing.”
Staly said that even though he is at 50 years of service, the reception was not an early retirement.
“This is not the end of the era, it’s the next chapter that has just started,” he said. “I’m not slowing down, and neither is my team.”
Jokingly, he added, “My wife has already said I can run for reelection in 2028.” Not only is Staly considering running for reelection in 2028, but he also announced during the reception he is working on a book on transformational leadership that could be ready for publication in 2026.
But Staly credited his team and the support from Flagler County’s residents and municipalities. It’s because of the Flagler Commission and Palm Coast that the FCSO is now funded, fully-staffed and has a waitlist for future employees.
He also said he would not be where he was if not for his many mentors and the teams he’s served on and with over the years.
“It takes mentors and a team to be successful,” he said.
As for the renaming of the Operations Center, Staly said when it became clear the FCSO needed a new operations building, he knew it would need to be designed for the future.
“What I knew was that, as a sitting sheriff, the decisions that were being made on this building would affect sheriffs in this community for decades to come,” he said. “So I knew it had to be done right. Thanks to the support of the Board of County Commissioners and the team that they assembled and the planning that was done, this building is truly built for decades to come.”
