GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Saying the Clay County Sheriff’s Office is in crisis, newly-appointed interim sheriff Matt Walsh vowed to bring stability to an agency that was rocked by the Aug. 13 arrest of sheriff Darryl Daniels.

Walsh was sworn into office Saturday morning after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Daniels Friday night after he surrendered at the Clay County Jail to face one felony charge of tampering with evidence and three misdemnor charges of making false claims related to an extramarital affair.

Walsh met with his administrative team early Monday and said he will work to “turn the page and to move forward as an agency.”

“I’ve already met with my command staff and I’ve been briefed on the excellent work they’ve done in regards to engaging with the community in an effort to understand its needs,” Walsh said. “As a team, we will strive for excellence in everything we do. Although my appointment is temporary, I’ll provide stability and support to the members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.”

Walsh’s tenure shouldn’t be long. Michelle Cook won the Republican primary Tuesday and likely will become the next sheriff. She still has to face a write-in candidate in November who hasn’t campaigned for the job.

According to documents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Daniels asked the sheriff’s office IT department to delete information from a cellphone that had information about his affair with Cierra Smith, who worked with Daniels when he was in charge of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Jail. He also was charged with demanding Smith to be arrested for stalking. While Smith was briefly detained, she was released without charges.

Now it’s up to Walsh to bring some normalcy back to CCSO.

“The sheriff’s office has been, and will continue, to work tirelessly to reduce crime, reduce the fear of crime and to improve the quality of life for the people of Clay County,” he said. “At this time, I do not have any plans to make any personnel changes, but I do intend to have an active roll in the day-to-day operations of the agency. My entire focus will be on supporting the mission of the men and women of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.”

Walsh is the assistant special agent in charge of the FDLE’s Jacksonville Regional Operations Center and the statewide coordinator for the Critical Incident Stress Management and Peer Support Team. He’s been with the FDLE for 17 years and in law enforcement for 23 years.

Walsh wasn’t part of FDLE’s yearlong investigation into Daniels.

“My education is providing crisis support,” Walsh said. “My training as a leader is to provide crisis support. There’s no doubt there’s crisis going on here in this agency. I’m here to provide that support and give them a chance to do what they’ve been doing for years and to serve the citizens of Clay County.”

Not only is CCSO in disarray, Walsh said the headlines of the day have added to the frustration of anxiety within his department.

“If you look at every agency around the country, around the state, they’re in times of crisis. There is a time of crisis right now with COVID and civil unrest,” he said. “My job is to come here and provide stability and support to the members who are doing a great job. It’s business as usual. The members of this agency will continue to do what they’ve been doing for years. I’m here to provide them support and help them move on, turn the page.”