There’s going to be a new sheriff in town

Sheriff-elect Rick Wells will be sworn into office Tuesday morning.

Wells will be sworn in at a ceremony that begins at 9 a.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto.

Outgoing Sheriff Brad Steube held the position since April 2007, when he was appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist after Charlie Wells, Rick Wells’ father, retired before the end of his term.

Steube announced in July 2015 that he would not seek re-election, and instead retire at the end of his term. Shortly after, Wells declared his intention to run for the position.

Wells had returned to work at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in February 2014 as Steube’s second in command. Being the sheriff had always been a dream of Wells.

He officially became the sheriff-elect in June 2016 after no one filed to run against him before the qualifying deadline.

Wells had worked for the sheriff early in his career of more than 30 years in law enforcement, but left when his father declared his own candidacy for sheriff. He went on to work for the Florida Highway Patrol but later returned to the sheriff’s office when Steube was sheriff and a lieutenant position became available.

Wells confided in Steube his dream to be sheriff, and Steube made Wells part of his succession plan. To help him gain the experience needed to be sheriff, Wells sought and took the chief of police position for the Palmetto Police Department from July 2010 until February 2014.

This story was originally published January 2, 2017 at 3:50 PM with the headline "There’s going to be a new sheriff in town."