Keith Merritt won the sheriff’s election in April 2008 and assumed office Jan. 1 of this uear; Merritt’s taking office is The Orange Leader’s number five story of 2009.
Another big story in Orange County in 2009 was newly elected sheriff Keith Merritt taking charge at the Orange County Sheriff's Office, along with chief deputy Rodney Harrison.
Merritt defeated incumbent sheriff Mike White in the March 2008 election, which was forced into a runoff in April; White served as Orange County sheriff for 11 years before his defeat. Before his election as sheriff, Merritt served as Precinct 1 Constable for 13 years. He has been a licensed peace officer for the past 28 years and holds an advanced peace officer certification with over 1,100 hours of specialized training.
Merritt entered law enforcement in 1979, when he started as a reserve deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. From there he went on to serve as deputy constable while working with Constable Jack Thompson; he also worked as an investigator with the district attorney’s office before he became the Precinct 1 Constable.
In the 2008 campaign, Merritt touted change for the department, saying the department needed more deputies on the street. One of the projects Merritt supported was a reopening of an OCSO substation in Mauriceville; this project was spearheaded by Mike White before his defeat. Earlier this year, commissioners approved the purchase of a building for the substation near the Texas 12 and Texas 62 intersection.
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Merritt takes reins at OCSO
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Bridge City puts the stop to popular drug substitute
