Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings is dedicated to serving and protecting his Florida community. A former Chief of the Orlando Police Department and Director of Public Safety for Orange County, Demings's interest in law enforcement was sparked from his childhood experiences watching television shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and Mannix. After joining the Orlando Police Department in 1981, Demings moved up the leadership ranks to become the department's first African-American chief in 1998.In 2008, Demings became the department's first African-American sheriff.