INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Sheriff Deryl Loar announced Monday he won't seek a fourth term, instead backing his major in his first run for elected office.

Maj. Eric Flowers, a longtime veteran with the agency, announced his candidacy for sheriff Monday with Loar's "wholehearted" endorsement.

"In January of 2021, at the age of 53, I will close this chapter of my life after 32 years in law enforcement," Loar said.

He said this year he celebrated 30 years as a law enforcement professional.

"I am proud of my career that spans 20 years with the Florida Highway Patrol and what will be 12 years here at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office," Loar said in an email announcement.

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Loar said he is "especially proud to have successfully led this agency through one of the worst economic downturns in decades and to have been part of some innovative advancements in the criminal justice field.

"In more than three decades of law enforcement, I have had the pleasure of serving the citizens of Florida, working with amazing individuals, and leading some of the most talented professionals in public safety."

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Among the things Loar said he is particularly proud of are:

The implementation of Mental Health Court that will continue to address some of the major issues facing law enforcement today.

The state-of-the-art Forensic Services Unit has developed into and been routinely recognized as one of the best crime scene teams in the state.

The addition of a Homeland Security Section reinforces dedication to the local efforts in the war on terrorism.

Status as a premier law enforcement agency is further solidified by the advances in the corrections component to include recognition by the Florida Model Jail Standards and the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission.

"I plan to take my experience and passion into a new phase of my career and will work diligently to ensure the next generation of leaders at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office are prepared for what lies ahead.”

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Flowers announces candidacy

Flowers, 39, a Republican, filed his paperwork with the county Elections Office, and opened his campaign website Monday.

He joins two other declared candidates for sheriff in the 2020 election: Richard Rosell, 59, a Republican, who is the public safety director for Indian River Shores; and Charles Kirby, 58, a retired captain from the Sheriff's Office who was with the agency for 26 years. He ran for County Commission in 2016.

Flowers, who is married and has a 3-year-old child, joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2003. Flowers said he grew up in the community, loves the area and went to high school in Sebastian.

“I know how special Indian River County is and how different it is from a lot of other communities,” Flowers said Monday. “I know that I can provide a high level of customer service to all the residents of Indian River County while also ensuring that everyone will be safe and that we can put bad guys in jail when we need to.”

Flowers noted his experience, education and energy. He said he knows how to protect the area from 21st-century criminals.

“I’ve been in the trenches, I’ve written Facebook search warrants,” he said. “I’ve done wire tap investigations.”

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Flowers, a native of Maryland who came to Florida in 1992, said policing has changed significantly in the past decade.

“We need somebody who’s new and progressive and is going to be able to catch those bad guys who are using internet technology, cell phones, and all kinds of new technology and devices, future technology,” he said.

Flowers said he's proud of his work on the opioid crisis while in the agency’s drug unit, noting the so-called “Operation Pill Street Blues” case that in 2012 shut down several pill clinics across the state and involved charges against doctors. A trial still is pending.

Flowers also touted accomplishments of the information technology section in relaunching the agency’s website. He said this will provide for online reporting, which he said will save tax dollars.

“If it’s a non-violent crime, if it’s an identity theft, they can just from the comfort of their home go ahead and report directly to us right on the website, which is great,” Flowers said.

Further, Flowers noted a new phone system. He said callers to the sheriff’s main number at 772-569-6700 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week will get a live person.

“For 20-plus years it’s been a recording,” he said. “I want to make sure that our customers, the people who are calling the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, are getting a real person.”

Flowers said he won't run a “dirty campaign.”

“I don’t compete with other people. It’s why I’ve been successful in leadership. I don’t compete with other leaders,” Flowers said. “It’s one mission, and I’m always going to be that guy who is trying to help out the community in the best way that I possibly can.”