Grady Judd’s folksiness is not accident. It’s a powerful communications strategy

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is no stranger to headlines. That’s no accident, he told attendees of a Florida TaxWatch gathering in Orlando.

The longtime Central Florida Sheriff regularly leads press conferences that go viral with blunt phrases and tough-on-crime rhetoric. That’s in part because he made a decision early to take the lead during press conferences about crimes and other newsworthy events.

“When leaders communicate well, they create trust and a foundation for community success,” he said.

The remarks revealed some more calculation than some might expect from seemingly off-the-cuff remarks. Judd’s remarks usually are improvised, but the Sheriff seeks out the opportunities to make them.

That’s more than clout chasing.

“First and foremost, you have to have accountable decision-makers in your corner, or you have to be in their corner, whether that’s the city or the county,” he said. “And how do you do that? Solid communication.”

He also stressed the importance of relationships with traditional media outlets. He played a WFLA clip that showed a year’s worth of folksy comments by the Sheriff.

“It’s important to have a healthy relationship with your traditional media,” Judd said. “It’s important because you want them in your corner in good times. You really need them to be there in the bad times.”

But increasingly, Judd said he’s aware of the value of social media. He noted that 86% of consumers get news primarily from digital devices, so his office also releases TikTok videos and other native content. That can be anything from major news announcements to dad jokes about arresting tater tots.

He even recorded a rap video with rappers Stephon and Gbeezy DotTruuf. “You cannot believe the positive feedback we got from that communication,” Judd said.

The Sheriff shared a video about a male prostitution arrest that ultimately collected some 31 million combined views when it was shared by X owner Elon Musk.

Judd also touched on controversial policy issues, including reiterating his opposition to open carry. But even then, he showcased the power of storytelling in making his point. He told a story of an 85-year-old visiting Clearwater Beach who could choose to have a firearm out in the open or have a concealed weapon in a bag.

“If somebody wanders out there with a knife who wants to slash people, instead of running to his back first, because they see the gun, he has the opportunity to protect people,” Judd said.

At the event, where Judd also swore in outgoing Florida TaxWatch Chair Piyush Patel as an honorary Polk County Deputy, he repeatedly stressed the significance of keeping positive community and political relationships.

Judd said the effective communication strategy ultimately results in an improvement in public safety.

“It’s not just us in a vacuum,” he said. “It’s us in the community.”