A St. Lucie County sheriff's deputy was fired after an Internal Affairs investigation found she created a Facebook post mocking Sheriff Richard Del Toro's Standards of Performance. Deputy Tina Speicker was terminated on June 12, 2026, following an investigation that began when Del Toro was made aware of the post on Oct. 10, 2025.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs report, Speicker posted an image titled Standards of Power that closely resembled Del Toro's official Standards of Performance, which outlined eight performance expectations introduced after he was sworn into office. Speicker's version replaced the original language with phrases depicting domination, manipulation and exploitation. The parody included statements such as Top-down domination, Keep everyone beneath you guessing who's next to take the blame, Display a ruthless work ethic with a focus on self-preservation, and Remain obsessive and paranoid.
Investigators identified several similarities between the two graphics, including that both contained eight principles, used similar wording and sentence structure, began each bullet point with the same first word, and featured a similar two-tone outline. During interviews, Speicker acknowledged posting the graphic but claimed it was intended as commentary on Congress and the federal government shutdown, not the Sheriff's Office. Investigators rejected that explanation, concluding the graphic was intended to parody the Sheriff's official standards.
The Internal Affairs report found Speicker gave inconsistent statements during multiple interviews. Investigators sustained allegations of criticism of orders or policies, conduct unbecoming, violating the code of ethics for public officers and employees, and false testimony. The investigation concluded Speicker violated Sheriff's Office policies on all four counts, leading to her termination.