JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video above is from a previous report.
Current Jacksonville Sheriff Pat Ivey sent sheriff candidate Lakesha Burton a letter claiming 'unauthorized use of JSO uniform and insignia'.
First Coast News obtained the letter in which Sheriff Ivey cites a commercial made by Burton in which he claims she "appeared to be representing yourself as an active Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Employee". He goes on to write that she was wearing what appeared to be her JSO uniform, badge and duty belt.
Former JSO Assistant Chief Burton retired from the JSO on March 21, 2022, shortly before she officially filed to join the race for sheriff. Before that, she worked in law enforcement for over 24 years, according to her campaign website. However, she has not been authorized to represent herself as a JSO employee or to wear her uniform since her retirement, according to Sheriff Ivey's letter.
Sheriff Ivey references sections 601.202 and 601.203 in the Jacksonville Municipal Code which prohibit wearing JSO insignia or uniforms without written permission from the sheriff.
Sheriff Ivey wraps up the letter by asking that Burton stop wearing her uniform or any JSO insignia or posting any videos showing her in uniform before alluding to taking legal action if she refuses.
"When I got in the race Mike Williams was sheriff and I went through the proper protocol of getting permission and I've been exercising that right for the past 18 months," Burton told First Coast News on Friday, "after serving 24 years and as part of the staff I would have thought I'd at least gotten a phone call instead of a letter."
Burton has had to field controversy already during the race to be Jacksonville sheriff. The Republican Party of Duval County previously asked her to withdraw her candidacy after she was accused of violating election laws. The Duval GOP accused Burton's campaign of urging donors to donate multiple times - which reportedly overreached donation limits.
In response Burton's campaign team said "We've seen desperate campaigns before, but we're surprised TK Waters and the Duval GOP are showing their fear this early."
"Over the next 25 days as things get nasty and in the mud it's time for leaders to step up and rise above that," said Burton, "the voters can expect that of me, to lead by example and stay out of the mud and focus on the issues. No matter if I'm in uniform or not I'm the same person, I'm very passionate about addressing the issues that impact our city, and that's violent crime."
Burton agreed to meet with First Coast News for an interview at the site of a recent murder in Jacksonville.
"I'm standing right here where there was a murder 48 hours ago in broad daylight," said Burton, "so we need to get back focused on what's impacting our entire community and that's violent crime."
She also said that ads like the one in question have been common in Florida.
"If you look back historically all the sheriff candidates have been in their uniform," said Burton, "at the end of the day I think it's a distraction, I'm running to be the next sheriff. In and out of the uniform I'm going to do my job."