Sheriff Sadie Darnell
Sheriff Sadie Darnell was sworn in as the first woman elected Sheriff of Alachua County on November 14, 2006. She has since been re-elected three more times – in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
She was born in Gainesville and educated in the public school system before earning an associate’s degree from Santa Fe Community College, and then attended the University of Florida where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She is a graduate of the 168th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program.
Sheriff Darnell worked for 30 years for the Gainesville Police Department, where she was promoted through the ranks to Captain before retiring and ultimately returning as the agency’s Community Relations Coordinator, working with special needs citizens and victims.
The Sheriff served as President of the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) Board of Directors for 2015/2016. She is the chair of the first Statewide Cold Case Advisory Commission, serves on the Executive Board of the North Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Initiative, and is a member of the Forensic Interview Protocol Task Force, the National Sheriffs Association, and the FBI National Academy Alumni Associates.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is an accredited 5 “C” (Criminal, Court, Civil, Corrections and Communications) law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in approximately 977 square miles of Alachua County. We have provided these services since 1841. We stand for the highest quality law enforcement and inmate detention, rendered with dedication to equality, fairness and professional integrity. Our over 900 sworn and civilian employees strive to keep our streets and communities safe for Alachua County’s citizens.
We work every day in cooperation with the nine local municipalities (Alachua, Archer, Gainesville, Hawthorne, High Springs, LaCrosse, Micanopy, Newberry, Waldo) that make up Alachua County to ensure that the services they provide are supported by the countywide jurisdiction and authority vested in the Sheriff.
As your Alachua County Sheriff, it is my honor to serve this community and to promote a service orientation that compliments safety and quality of life.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Sadie Darnell
2019 Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Annual Report
Colonel David Huckstep
Chief Deputy
Colonel David Huckstep is a 40 year veteran in law enforcement, including 26 years at the Gainesville, Florida Police Department where he worked all aspects of law enforcement and rose through the ranks to Police Commander.
In 2001, after a lengthy nationwide search, he was selected by the City Council of Thomasville, Georgia, and served until November of 2006 as Thomasville’s Chief of Police where he promoted Community Oriented Policing and earned both National and State Accreditations.
Colonel Huckstep holds a Masters in Public Administration from Columbus State University and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Indiana State University. He is a graduate of the 220th Session of the FBI National Academy and has attended numerous executive level training programs with well over 3000 hours of professional law enforcement training.
Colonel Huckstep was chosen by Sheriff Sadie Darnell upon her election in 2006 to serve as her Chief Deputy, second in command. The Chief Deputy assists the Sheriff in the day-to-day operations of the agency and assumes command of the agency in absence of the Sheriff.