John Rutherford (Florida politician)
| John Rutherford | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Ander Crenshaw |
| Sheriff of Duval County | |
| In office 2004–2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nat Glover |
| Succeeded by | Mike Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 2, 1952 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Rutherford |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Alma mater | Florida State University FBI Academy National Executive Institute |
| Occupation | law enforcement officer |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Website | House website |
John Henry Rutherford (born September 2, 1952) is a career law enforcement officer turned polician who is the United States Representative for Florida's 4th congressional district since 2017. After a career with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, he has served as Duval County Sheriff from 2003 to 2015.
Contents
Education
Rutherford was born in 1952 and has lived in Jacksonville since 1958. He earned an associate's degree in police administration from Florida Junior College, then received a bachelor's degree in criminology at Florida State University. Later, he attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia and graduated in session 171. Also graduate of National Executive Institute.
Experience at JSO
Officer Rutherford started out as a patrolman in 1974 and rose to the rank of Captain. He has commanded a number of divisions, including Arson, Burglary, the Police Academy and Patrol on the Southside.
He also served as Chief of Services, Traffic and Special Operations, and Chief of Patrol.[1]
As Chief of Services, Chief of Traffic/Special Operations and Chief of Patrol, where he commanded over 700 uniformed officers.[2]
In 1995, Rutherford was appointed as Director of Corrections under then-Sheriff Nat Glover and held that title for 8 years.
In 2006 Sheriff Rutherford started the HITZ Program to stop transient nuisance crimes and help transient substance abusing persons into treatment rather than prison.[3]
Rutherford instituted programs in which officers walked the beat downtown,[4] Operation Safe Streets, Gun Bounty Rewards and a Public Awareness Campaign with Billboard, Radio and TV commercials.[5] Initiatives also include; Intelligence Lead Policing, Community Problem Solving and Continuous Improvement through LEAN concepts. By 2011 the City of Jacksonville was enjoying a forty year low in crime.
Politics
In February, 2003, a campaign violation complaint was filed by a City Council candidate alleging violations of the Federal Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits employees working for federally funded agencies from running for office in partisan elections. Rutherford consulted a lawyer, and was told there was no conflict, but retired anyway, in order to remove any doubt, with 28 years of service.[6]
Elections
Rutherford campaigned for Duval County sheriff, running against fellow Republicans David Anderson and Lem Sharp. In the election on April 15, 2003, Rutherford won 135,038 votes, 78 percent of the total. He took office on July 1, 2003.
Rutherford was re-elected in 2007.[7]
In 2011, he was re-elected.[8]
Personal
Rutherford is married to his wife, Patricia. They have two children (Alicia and Michael) and five grand children, Michela, Hannah, Maria Vittoria, Kiera and John-Carlo. In an interview prior to his first election in 2003, he was asked what voters would be surprised to know about John Rutherford. His reply: "I'm still a surfer."
References
- ↑ Florida Times-Union: March 13, 2003-Veteran cop Rutherford has vision for Sheriff's Office
- ↑ [1] Sheriff John Rutherford Biography COJ.net
- ↑ [2] HITZ is a hit - Daily Record
- ↑ [3] Merchants agree JSO’s effort to curb crime at Hemming Plaza is working. Daily Record
- ↑ [4] Sheriff's Initiatives - COJ.net
- ↑ Florida Times-Union: March 1, 2003-Candidates accused of violating law
- ↑ Florida Times-Union: March 3, 2007-DUVAL COUNTY SHERIFF: Rutherford is slow, on track
- ↑ Treen, Dana: "John Rutherford wins re-election as Jacksonville sheriff" Florida Times-Union, March 22, 2011
External links
- Campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district 2017–present |
Incumbent |
