ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Richard Del Toro is celebrating one year as the St. Lucie County Sheriff. After a busy year—ranging from multi-agency incidents to the somber loss of a long-time detective—the Sheriff is reflecting on his time in office and what lies ahead for the future. “If I’m sleeping, don’t wake me up because I’m having the best dream of my life,” Del Toro said, describing his first year.

The Sheriff’s journey to the position followed a period of transition for the agency. Controversy preceded his 2024 campaign after long-time Sheriff Ken Mascara resigned abruptly in 2023. During the election, then-Sheriff Keith Pearson ran on the slogan “People Over Politics,” but Del Toro says his focus is on a different goal.

“I disagreed with that. I said, it’s purpose over politics, because, again, this position is a rented title. Our purpose is to serve people,” Del Toro explained. “When you put the purpose ahead of the politics, ahead of yourself, ahead of your agenda, the sky’s the limit.”

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In 2025, the county experienced several major incidents, including a standoff on I-95, the arrest of James Taylor, and a house fire that turned into a homicide investigation. Through these high-profile cases, Sheriff Del Toro says transparency was his primary focus.

“I just believe in transparency, and I believe in, you know what, you got to own the good, you got to own the bad,” Del Toro said. “The public deserves to know what’s going on in their community, especially from an agency where there is so much trust and power.”

Inside the Sheriff’s Office, Del Toro has already implemented major structural changes to allow for more promotions. While his interactions with the public have been overwhelmingly positive, the Sheriff admits he wants to do a better job of connecting with his 800 employees.

“I didn’t do a good enough job getting around the agency. We have a courthouse, jail… there’s only so many hours in a day. I was focused on trying to fix a lot of the management issues. I have to get out and about and meet with the people here within the organization,” he reflected.

As for what’s next, Del Toro plans to continue building up leadership within the agency. With over a dozen captains currently on staff, his goal is to focus on training them to become even stronger leaders for the community.