UPDATE: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly has officially responded to the explanation provided by Former Chief Deputy Joe Barile. You can find the documents released by the sheriff here and the former Chief Deputy’s letter below in the original article.
Appointment to Command Staff Agreement Barile, J_2025 Appointment and Executive Staff Agreement (signed_rs) 1.15.25 Barile,J_2023 Appointment to Command Staff Agreement (Signed RS) 12.20.23 Seperation Notes – Barile
Former Chief Deputy Joe Barile, who abruptly resigned from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 10, 2026, has issued a long statement making his case about why he left, after it drew broad community attention and speculation.
Barile says he wanted to provide the community and employees of the agency with some closure and “transparency” regarding his departure. He repeatedly states that his narrative is not an attempt to “bash” or “trash” any current or former sheriff and that he did not seek any comment or information from Sheriff’s Office employees since leaving the agency. This is a summary of Barile’s statement; below you will find the full statement:
Key points from the statement
Barile states that he was suddenly called in on the morning of Sept. 10 to an unexpected meeting with Sheriff Rick Staly and a human resources representative and had no idea that he was going to resign that day.
He states he did not resign from the Sheriff’s Office in the wake of any type of investigation or internal affairs case and that in nearly 20 years, he has never been formally disciplined outside of a written reprimand in 2013 for “horseplay on the radio.”
He states that Staly offered him the choice to resign and that he is thankful that he did because he could not fill the role the sheriff wanted him to fill and that they are simply two different people with different morals and values.
He states that when he accepted the Chief Deputy position, they both knew that he could be let go at any time with no option to be demoted or reassigned and that Staly was upfront about this from the beginning.
He states that he did not leave the Sheriff’s Office to take a job with the technology company Axon, as some have speculated because he did not apply and would not leave a government sector job like this one.
He states that given his experience in law enforcement technology, including rolling out body cameras around the Sheriff’s Office, the rumor was believable.
He states that he has not applied to or accepted a position at any other agency and does not plan on leaving the county of Flagler.
He states that he is in a healthy mental state and that it has been over a year since he has felt like himself again.
He states that the reasons that Staly gave him to resign had nothing to do with job performance, dedication, or discipline and were rumors, speculation, opinions, or concerns that he had already addressed.
He states that he had not spoken to the media at all prior to dropping this statement off except to contact Pierre Tristam of Flagler Live to correct the Axon rumor and to let him know that he would not be attending the press conference.
He states that he did not resign from the Sheriff’s Office the day before he became eligible to retire, explaining that Florida law would not have allowed him to do this, stating that it would have been his 20th year on the job starting on Jan. 31, 2027, and that he would be 39 years old.
His time at the agency
Barile states that he came into the Sheriff’s Office and credits the agency for where it is now and that upon starting his career at the age of 19, he had a long-term goal to be elected sheriff one day, not to run against Staly but to run after he decided that he would retire, which he had told Staly back in 2016.
He states that he quickly worked his way up the ranks, taking a commander position in 2021, going to the FBI National Academy in 2024, and being offered the Chief Deputy position, skipping the chief position.
He states that he did not receive a whole lot of on-the-job training for the Chief Deputy role.
Barile is candid about his own shortcomings, stating that early on in his role he was overwhelmed and stressed, to the point where he was “loud” and short-tempered and unprofessional to some of the civilian staff; that he had a moment where he realized he was becoming the type of leader that he did not want to be and apologized to the employee and command staff involved, sought honest feedback, and changed, something he has not done in over a year.
He addresses the rumors regarding “favoritism,” stating that he just cares about the employees, using the example of showing him poor-quality drinking water in the building, him discovering that the fountains didn’t have filtration systems, and they were then installed.
Morals and values
Barile states that he went to leadership conferences and had a leadership coach, but that it was not beneficial, and his leadership coach has not heard from any other leaders that they had any issues with him.
He states that he is not accusing Staly of anything unethical or illegal and that Staly never asked him to do anything of the sort. He states that their “morals and values differ” and he was unable to fill the role the sheriff wanted him to fill.
He then goes on to state a list of values that he says guided his work (paraphrased below):
Treating employees as people, not “tools,” and valuing the civilian staff that is often overworked.
Listening to others regardless of rank.
Promoting and assigning people based on merit, not whether you like or dislike them.
Not using employees or citizens as “political pawns.”
Serving and protecting everyone, and not just treating residents as potential voters.
Not publicly shaming people, including juveniles or individuals in mental health crises, on social media.
His last value listed in the statement refers to an incident he recounts without specific details, stating that he would never auction off a chief deputy for a date at a public gala without permission.
Conclusion
Barile states that as he was being escorted out of Staly’s office, he stopped and told Sheriff Staly, “This is my home,” and says that he meant it. He states that he does not know what the future holds but that he will continue to be involved in the community. He signs the statement “Joe Barile *411” and closes with a blunt, defiant line stating that he is not leaving the county of Flagler.
This is Barile’s version of events. The Sheriff’s Office stated his resignation.
[Barile’s full statement can be found here: Barile Resignation Statement]
