For your consideration: Gonzales Co. Sheriff’s race

“When I was growing up I always wanted to be in law enforcement,” said Toliver, 61. But growing up in a ranching family in Eagle Lake kept him grounded in the business there until he settled in Gonzales County in 1990. He has been employed by the sheriff’s office ever since, having served in every position except chief deputy and sheriff. Now, he looks to mark one more off of his list.

“I’ve worked for the county for 25 years,” Toliver said. “Over the years I’ve seen things that I’d like to see changed as far as the way we work. And I think I can do a good job at that.”

He has harbored thoughts as the head lawman in town but refused to move on his intentions out of loyalty to his sheriff. But now that the door is open for a new leader, Toliver has set his dreams into motion.

“I know how to associate with the public and I’m pretty sure I can run the department,” he said. His past managerial work as a rancher and his decades getting to know people in the county are the reasons he points to as to why he should be elected.

Toliver is currently a patrol deputy with the department. As he describes it, they are the first responders to criminal activity when it happens in the county. Of his many jobs, he has enjoyed being a part of the drug interdiction force, which is the program of patrolling the major interstate looking for people running money and drugs out of Mexico.

“On the interstate you get to meet a lot of people,” he said. “You run across everything out there. It’s dangerous yet funny sometimes of what you run across.”

If he had the authority to speak on what exactly he has seen, he said it would easily fill an episode of COPS. Drugs are only part of the problem along with human trafficking and finding stolen property. Only an estimated 10 percent of that crime is intercepted by authorities — even though that rate is low — helping just one person not become a victim of crime associated with that is good enough for Toliver.

“I like helping people and everything else,” he said. “There’s always exciting parts to this job. It just has to be something you really want to do.

“I go to work early every day. I’m never late. I was raised where your job meant something to you and this job does mean something to me. You can call me anytime day or night and I’ll go.”

If elected sheriff, the main thing he wants to focus on is the relationship that the department has with the community. He would like to see more interactions across the department with the public and himself a more visible face of the force.

He said that as a member of the department, you have to like your job and learn not to take things too personally. A good department needs to enforce the laws and not simply be around to make a paycheck or look for a promotion.

“We are out there to help people and correct criminal activity,” he said.

The way he intends to run the department appears to be the way he looks to win the election.

“Well, I’m going to try to meet and greet and sway as many people as I can. I’m not going to run a dirty campaign or a smear campaign or anything like that, I’m just going to be myself,” Toliver said.

Editor’s note: Floyd Toliver is the husband of Gonzales Inquirer sales representative Debbie Toliver. Debbie does not determine placement of news content.