KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – When the sheriff comes knocking on the door, some people may run and hide. For residents in the High Ridge Estates neighborhood of Keystone Heights, though, Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels was a welcome face as he toured their neighborhood documenting their problems and promising to fix whatever he could.

Since being sworn in at the beginning of the year, Daniels has made an effort to visit a different neighborhood once a month to walk the streets and talk to the residents in a push to make Clay County a better place to live.

“These people know what the problems are,” Daniels said. “Some areas of Clay County have problems and I think it’s best to get our intel from the people that live there.”

This was the third walking tour the sheriff has taken, with the first two being successful, according to the department.

In Keystone Heights, one problem that kept coming up were issues with loose dogs, whether they be individual dogs or larger packs that some people reported. The sheriff assured all residents that his deputies would make their presence known and enforce leash laws.

High Ridge Estates resident Jackie DeWitt expressed concerns with packs of pit bulls she said she has seen running wild near her home.

“Loose dogs are the biggest issue around here,” DeWitt said. “People have been bitten just walking to their mailbox.”

About the sheriff’s visit, DeWitt only had good things to say.

“I think this is fantastic, there needs to be more of a presence back here,” she said.

Down the road from DeWitt, Julie Hammock and her little son Michael were waiting for the sheriff, also to express their concerns about the dog problem, but also because Michael is a big fan of law enforcement. Michael’s father is a former police officer, so, according to his mother, Michael gets excited every time he sees a police car.

“Other kids will say, ‘There goes a Lamborghini,’ and Michael will say, ‘Look, a police car!’,” she said while talking to Daniels.

After their discussion, Daniels pinned an honorary deputy’s badge on Michael, then stood and had Michael take an oath, swearing him in as an honorary deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m gonna tell all my friends at school!” Michael said while admiring his new badge.

Hammock also shared the rest of the neighborhood’s concerns with the loose dogs. She told the Daniels that her son can’t ride up and down the streets on his bicycle because he’s been bitten by a dog before. Instead, he is forced to ride his bike in circles in the family’s yard.

She said real problem is with people leaving their dogs off leashes and free to roam the neighborhood, which is a constant problem until someone calls the police. After law enforcement shows up, knocks on the door without an answer and leaves, Hammock said the dogs’ owners will then come outside and chain the dog up or put it in a shed temporarily, only to let it loose again later.

The sheriff continued his tour of the neighborhood, hoping to hear all the needs of the High Ridge residents and address them as quickly and effectively as he could. The next walks will be in different areas of Clay County than he has visited before.

“We’ll be going to Middleburg and Clay Hill [next],” Daniels said. “I want to make sure not to get locked into any one area to ensure that all of Clay County has a voice.”