Pasco Sheriff Innovations
Victim Resources
The Unit consists of five Victim Advocates, a Technician and a Supervisor. The Victim Advocate Unit’s focus is to ensure the rights of victims are honored. They provide information and support throughout the entire investigative and criminal justice process. Victim Advocates assess the needs of victims and provide support from the onset of victimization. They also maintain a current listing of community resources to include referrals for counseling, legal aid, emergency food and shelter, safe housing and support groups. Unit members are on call 24 hours a day.
- Citizen Guide for Elderly Exploitation and Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Victim Comp Claim Form
- Victim Compensation Brochure
- Victim Rights Booklet
- Victim Advocate Brochure
- Trauma Scene Clean Up
- Trauma Scene Clean Up Sp anish
- Funeral Homes
- Funeral Homes List
- Funeral Home List Spanish
- Final Arrangements
- Final Arrangements Spanish
Click to submit a Child Abuse Tip
If you are reporting an EMERGENCY or a CRIME in progress, DIAL 911.
The Florida Abuse Hotline will accept a report when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child who can be located in Florida, or is temporarily out of the state but expected to return in the immediate future, has been harmed or is believed to be threatened with harm from a person responsible for the care of the child.
Click for all other crimes and/or suspicious activity
If you are reporting an EMERGENCY or a CRIME in progress, DIAL 911.
Use this web tip form to provide information regarding crimes, criminals and/or suspicious activity.
If you choose not to provide your name and contact information, you may still inquire and/or provide additional information
on the tip you provided by logging in with the PIN provided to you during the tip submission process.
Please note: This tip system IS NOT monitored 24 hours a day and is not for emergencies.
Victim Notifications
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office participates in the Vine Network
Across the country, crime victims and other concerned citizens are using VINE for access to timely and reliable information about criminal cases and
the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day — over the telephone, through the Internet, or by e-mail.
Victims can call to inquire about the current status of an offender and can register to be notified immediately in the event of an offender’s release, escape, transfer, or court appearance.
WEB ACCESS: Vinelink
TOLL FREE NUMBER: (877) 846-3435
Victims can call to inquire about the current status of an offender and can register to be notified immediately in the event of an offender’s release, escape, transfer, or court appearance.
WEB ACCESS: Vinelink
TOLL FREE NUMBER: (877) 846-3435
- VINE communicates with jail and prison booking systems in near real-time, transmitting updated information to the Appriss Data Network™.
- Crime victims and the general public can access the information by calling a local toll-free number, or logging onto www.vinelink.com, any time of the day or night.
- Victims can inquire whether an offender is held in jail as well as the facility’s location.
- Users can register to be notified immediately of a change in the offender’s status, such as release, transfer, or escape.
- When a notification is triggered, VINE automatically calls the number or numbers the victim has provided.
- Calls continue for a designated period of time, or until the victim enters a four digit PIN.
Hurricane season is officially here. Although the county has focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to prepare for other disasters. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office encourages citizens to plan ahead for hurricane season. Preparing today can save lives and protect your property during a storm.
A crucial first step is to make sure you have a hurricane supply kit. Your kit should include water, non-perishable food, batteries, toiletries, first-aid supplies, medications, cash and fuel. It is important to remember pet supplies, as well. It is recommended to stock enough food and water to last three days per person.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office suggests obtaining sandbags in advance to prepare your home for hurricanes. Waiting until the storm is here can mean that supplies might be low in stock. If you don’t have storm shutters, consider purchasing plywood to fabricate shutters for your windows. Ensure outdoor items are properly secured or stowed away when a storm is in the forecast. Keeping trees trimmed and disposing of fallen limbs and other yard debris is a good idea before and during hurricane season. Debris and outdoor furniture can become projectiles during a storm, so it is important to secure these items before a storm arrives. It is also important to properly clean your gutters as part of hurricane preparations.
If an evacuation order is issued for your area, please follow it. If you plan to evacuate, keep in mind that community shelters may be limited on space and should only be used as a last resort. Before evacuating make sure to have copies of important papers, including your driver’s license and insurance policies. Let friends and family know where you are going and remember to lock your windows and doors before leaving.
If you choose to shelter in place, plan ahead. Designate a safe room, such as a windowless closet or bathroom on the lower floor of your home. Fill containers with water, to give yourself an alternative in case water sources become contaminated during the storm. Additionally, if flooding occurs in your home, turn the power off at the main breaker to prevent further damage and harm. In the event of a power loss, it’s critical to know what medical equipment will become unusable and make a plan for its absence.
Although most dangers from a hurricane are apparent, such as wind damage or storm surge, there are additional risks that are less apparent. For example, drive carefully and avoid flooded roads.
Staying informed during a storm will help you and your family stay safe. The National Hurricane Center forecasts are an accurate source of information along with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Facebook and Twitter accounts. Bear in mind that the areas effected will extend beyond the center of the storm. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is here for our community, and we encourage citizens to prepare well in advance for hurricane season.
With COVID-19 at the top of everyone’s mind, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure citizens have resources with up-to-date information, as well as some ways citizens can protect themselves and others.
For the latest information about COVID-19, please visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s website at CDC.gov. If you suspect you have contracted COVID-19, call your doctor before visiting an office or testing site. They will provide you with details on testing information and will help mitigate your risk of spreading the virus.
With COVID-19 at the top of everyone’s mind, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure citizens have resources with up-to-date information, as well as some ways citizens can protect themselves and others.
For the latest information about COVID-19, please visit the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s website at CDC.gov. If you suspect you have contracted COVID-19, call your doctor before visiting an office or testing site. They will provide you with details on testing information and will help mitigate your risk of spreading the virus.
Even if you do not have symptoms of COVID-19, others may still be at risk. Practicing social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others is a good way to lower the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer consisting of at least 60% alcohol, as well as disinfecting surfaces frequently, are also great ways to reduce the risk to yourself and others.
Unfortunately, there are some criminals who will try to take advantage of those seeking information about COVID-19. Cybercriminals are using citizen concerns to prey on vulnerable citizens by launching phishing attacks or producing false ads. The best way to combat against these scams and get the most accurate information on the coronavirus is to visit credible websites, such as the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC.gov) and the World Health Organization. These sites will never request an email address to access information.
Scammers are also attempting to access citizen’s information through phone calls. As always, be aware of unsolicited phone calls and emails offering unprompted information for your private information in return. If you are unfamiliar with the source, don’t click on any links or attachments sent through emails. Additionally, be cautious when clicking on social media ads. Scammers create ads with false information on coronavirus cures and conspiracies.
Additionally, the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities is now accepting monetary donations for two of Pasco County’s most at-risk populations: children and the elderly. While schools are closed, students that rely on free or reduced meals may be left without an alternate source of food. Many seniors in our community also need the assistance of others for meals and medical expenses. We're doing our part to help our community members. If you’d like to help, visit PascoSheriffCharities.org/donation .
Together, we will get through this pandemic by listening to accurate information, safeguarding ourselves from those looking to take advantage of others and helping out the greater community. With COVID-19 at the top of everyone’s mind, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure citizens have resources with up-to-date information, as well as some ways citizens can protect themselves and others.
January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. There will be various events this month hosted by different organizations to raise awareness and assist frontline groups combating human trafficking. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office will again be hosting the Light Up the Night event at 6 p.m., on Saturday, February 1, at the Shops at Wiregrass mall in Wesley Chapel. We will highlight amazing organizations, raise awareness, and stand together united in this cause.
Human trafficking is known as "modern day slavery." The perpetrators of this crime find victims who are vulnerable and use force or fraud to exploit them. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking throughout the world, who are exploited to the amount of $150 billion, which certainly makes this a global epidemic. The Polaris Project has identified many forms of human trafficking and the three forms that are the most identifiable and investigated here in the United States includes labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and involuntary servitude. We know these three forms are present here in the Tampa Bay area.
We know these three forms are present here in the Tampa Bay area.The Pasco Sheriff's Office, in partnership with key stakeholders in our community, has been working diligently over the years to end human trafficking in Pasco County. Some of the methods and partnerships we have utilized have included:
- Hosting the annual Light Up The Night community awareness event;
- Operating our Pasco County Human Trafficking Task Force which is comprised of law enforcement, code enforcement, fire inspectors, building inspectors, Florida Department of Health, and various non-governmental organizations (NGO);
- Creating a specially-trained Human Trafficking investigative unit;
- Working with our local educational institutions such as Pasco County schools, Pasco-Hernando State College, and St Leo University to raise awareness and to enhance prevention;
- Partnering with Sunrise of Pasco to study the cross-indicators of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking;
- Being a member of our Pasco Commission on Human Trafficking and the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of more than 40 law enforcement and NGOs, which was recently awarded a US Dept. of Justice grant, and the state attorney general’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking;
- Working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to create specific training mandated by Florida law for statewide dissemination;
- Being a chair of the Criminal Justice subcommittee creating working groups to propose effective strategies to effectively implement criminal justice remedies to reducing human trafficking;
- Providing training to identify and report human trafficking for circuit task forces, community groups, law enforcement, NGO's, faith-based organizations, victim services organizations, and many others;
- Developing partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations to effectively combat human trafficking;
As we move into 2020, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office will remain committed to our mission to end human trafficking in our community. Reducing the demand for human trafficking, rescuing the victims, and arresting the traffickers and buyers remains one of our community's top priorities.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is committed to a comprehensive approach to mental health and substance abuse recovery in our community. Our mission of law enforcement will always remain our first priority, but we understand outdated policing philosophies that attempt to “arrest our way out of a problem” are counterproductive.
Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies are often the first and only mental health provider to many citizens who need such services as they do not have health insurance. We strive to avoid unnecessarily criminalizing mental health issues and incidents whenever possible. Collaboration with state and local government agencies along with our community-based mental health partners is the most effective way to help our citizens achieve stabilization and recovery in the long term. Individual circumstances and needs are, of course, unique, so there is no universal template that can be applied in every case. Rather, each behavioral health case is best served through a custom-built, tailored approach, often requiring mature relationships and focused expertise.
In 2018, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office responded to 174,772 citizen-initiated calls for service in our county. Of those, 11 percent, or 19,283 calls for service, were directly mental health related. The average ratio of health providers to members of the population in Florida is 1 to 700. In Pasco County, the ratio is 1 to 1,460, illustrating the need for a comprehensive, partnered approach.
For this reason, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office 18-person Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT) became operational in August of this year. This Team focuses on high utilizers of law enforcement and other emergency services due to mental and behavioral health issues. BayCare provides additional support to BHIT by committing three full-time case managers to help overcome barriers for treatment. PSO also works with local government departments such as the Department of Human Services to assist our homeless population and provide improved care for our acutely mentally ill citizens. BHIT identifies high utilizers through data analysis, such as citizens with multiple Baker or Marchman Acts, or those who experience a non-fatal overdose. Patrol deputies may also recommend assistance for citizens they come in contact with who display signs and symptoms of mental illness. The BHIT is a significant investment of resources, but it reflects the deliberate choice to frontload effort to protect and serve all members of the community in all circumstances and achieve the best possible long-term outcomes.
The BHIT has already seen success in the field when working with citizens in need. We believe that this success will continue to grow as these citizens in need begin to understand that we are there to assist them in getting the services that they need to help them function in life and not commit crimes that can land them in jail.
Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies are often the first and only mental health provider to many citizens who need such services as they do not have health insurance. We strive to avoid unnecessarily criminalizing mental health issues and incidents whenever possible. Collaboration with state and local government agencies along with our community-based mental health partners is the most effective way to help our citizens achieve stabilization and recovery in the long term. Individual circumstances and needs are, of course, unique, so there is no universal template that can be applied in every case. Rather, each behavioral health case is best served through a custom-built, tailored approach, often requiring mature relationships and focused expertise.
In 2018, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office responded to 174,772 citizen-initiated calls for service in our county. Of those, 11 percent, or 19,283 calls for service, were directly mental health related. The average ratio of health providers to members of the population in Florida is 1 to 700. In Pasco County, the ratio is 1 to 1,460, illustrating the need for a comprehensive, partnered approach.
For this reason, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office 18-person Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT) became operational in August of this year. This Team focuses on high utilizers of law enforcement and other emergency services due to mental and behavioral health issues. BayCare provides additional support to BHIT by committing three full-time case managers to help overcome barriers for treatment. PSO also works with local government departments such as the Department of Human Services to assist our homeless population and provide improved care for our acutely mentally ill citizens. BHIT identifies high utilizers through data analysis, such as citizens with multiple Baker or Marchman Acts, or those who experience a non-fatal overdose. Patrol deputies may also recommend assistance for citizens they come in contact with who display signs and symptoms of mental illness. The BHIT is a significant investment of resources, but it reflects the deliberate choice to frontload effort to protect and serve all members of the community in all circumstances and achieve the best possible long-term outcomes.
The BHIT has already seen success in the field when working with citizens in need. We believe that this success will continue to grow as these citizens in need begin to understand that we are there to assist them in getting the services that they need to help them function in life and not commit crimes that can land them in jail.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco’s Kids food drive will soon be accepting both monetary and food donations.
The proceeds from this worthy cause will be given directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students. This year those recipients include the Pasco School system and Metropolitan Ministries, who we are partnering with to distribute our food and funds collection to many worthy organizations throughout Pasco County.
According to the District School Board of Pasco County, there are 962 homeless students from 513 homeless families living in Pasco County alone. This includes those that are “doubled up,” or living in another’s household; living in shelters; or unsheltered. Unfortunately, our deputies all too often see the results of malnourished children in our community, whether they are homeless or not. As you can imagine, school can be hard enough for students without the looming distraction of hunger.
Every year, we collect thousands of non-perishable boxed or canned food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables. Please do not donate any food in glass containers, which break easily. We also collect monetary donations, which we calculate to be an equivalent of 2 food items for every dollar collected.
Beginning Monday, November 11, there will be donation boxes placed in the lobbies of Pasco Sheriff’s Office buildings throughout the county. Several area churches have also agreed to have boxes located in their buildings to assist in the collection of food. Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with Food Drive in the “For” line. They can be mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654. The collection of food and monetary donations ends on Friday, December 13.
The proceeds from this worthy cause will be given directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students. This year those recipients include the Pasco School system and Metropolitan Ministries, who we are partnering with to distribute our food and funds collection to many worthy organizations throughout Pasco County.
According to the District School Board of Pasco County, there are 962 homeless students from 513 homeless families living in Pasco County alone. This includes those that are “doubled up,” or living in another’s household; living in shelters; or unsheltered. Unfortunately, our deputies all too often see the results of malnourished children in our community, whether they are homeless or not. As you can imagine, school can be hard enough for students without the looming distraction of hunger.
Every year, we collect thousands of non-perishable boxed or canned food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables. Please do not donate any food in glass containers, which break easily. We also collect monetary donations, which we calculate to be an equivalent of 2 food items for every dollar collected.
Beginning Monday, November 11, there will be donation boxes placed in the lobbies of Pasco Sheriff’s Office buildings throughout the county. Several area churches have also agreed to have boxes located in their buildings to assist in the collection of food. Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with Food Drive in the “For” line. They can be mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654. The collection of food and monetary donations ends on Friday, December 13.
The 2019 Sheriff Chris Nocco’s Fishing for Families Saltwater Tournament is scheduled for Friday, October 4 at Catches Waterfront Grill, 7811 Bayview Street, Port Richey. Our yearly tournament raises funds for three worthy charities that support children and families. These include the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Leadership Center; the Family Support Network; and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Explorer program.
Sponsorships and individual fishing positions are still available for the tournament. Individual spots are $600 and include a place on a boat with an experienced captain and two other anglers, breakfast and a boxed lunch, an event shirt and gift bag, and an after-party at Catches. All of the bait and tackle are provided.
Sponsorships include a Gold Sponsorship and a Silver Sponsorship. Silver Sponsors receive one boat with three fishing spots; their logo on the event sign; the opportunity to provide promotional material in tournament gift bags; and all of the other amenities of an individual fisherman for their anglers. Gold Sponsors receive all of the amenities of a Silver Sponsor, including their logo on the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities website and the opportunity to display their logo at the tournament event.
A Tournament Shirt Sponsorship is still available for $5,000, which includes the benefits of a Gold Sponsor.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the boats leave Catches at 9 a.m. to head out into the Gulf of Mexico. Prizes are awarded for the biggest fish caught in the following species: Trout, snook and redfish, and the best of tournament prize for the person who catches the biggest of all three species.
The charities that will benefit from the funds raised from our tournament include a new Pasco Sheriff’s Office Leadership Center that we are working on. The Leadership Center will also be home to the Pasco Sheriff’s Explorer Post 916, the Junior Explorer Club 915, and other community engagement and youth leadership programs. In partnership with agencies and organizations such as Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), Pasco County Schools, and the Boy Scouts of America, the Leadership Center will host camps and programs where youth can learn about careers in law enforcement, forensics, robotics, cyber security, and conservation in addition to life lessons that will prepare them for success in any profession.
The Family Support Network provides important support for our deputies, civilians and their families here at the Sheriff’s Office in times of need. The Explorer Unit provides both middle and high school students a chance to volunteer at our agency and learn about the law enforcement career field. Several of our former Explorers now have command staff positions in our agency, so this is a great way for our youth to find out if this is a career for them.
If you enjoy fishing or would like to provide support to the men and women of our agency, this tournament is a great way to do just that. I encourage you to get involved and help us make our agency and our community a better place to work and play.
For more information, contact tournament director Nick Kaller at 727-514-8417 or email FishingForFamilies.org.
Sponsorships and individual fishing positions are still available for the tournament. Individual spots are $600 and include a place on a boat with an experienced captain and two other anglers, breakfast and a boxed lunch, an event shirt and gift bag, and an after-party at Catches. All of the bait and tackle are provided.
Sponsorships include a Gold Sponsorship and a Silver Sponsorship. Silver Sponsors receive one boat with three fishing spots; their logo on the event sign; the opportunity to provide promotional material in tournament gift bags; and all of the other amenities of an individual fisherman for their anglers. Gold Sponsors receive all of the amenities of a Silver Sponsor, including their logo on the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities website and the opportunity to display their logo at the tournament event.
A Tournament Shirt Sponsorship is still available for $5,000, which includes the benefits of a Gold Sponsor.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the boats leave Catches at 9 a.m. to head out into the Gulf of Mexico. Prizes are awarded for the biggest fish caught in the following species: Trout, snook and redfish, and the best of tournament prize for the person who catches the biggest of all three species.
The charities that will benefit from the funds raised from our tournament include a new Pasco Sheriff’s Office Leadership Center that we are working on. The Leadership Center will also be home to the Pasco Sheriff’s Explorer Post 916, the Junior Explorer Club 915, and other community engagement and youth leadership programs. In partnership with agencies and organizations such as Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), Pasco County Schools, and the Boy Scouts of America, the Leadership Center will host camps and programs where youth can learn about careers in law enforcement, forensics, robotics, cyber security, and conservation in addition to life lessons that will prepare them for success in any profession.
The Family Support Network provides important support for our deputies, civilians and their families here at the Sheriff’s Office in times of need. The Explorer Unit provides both middle and high school students a chance to volunteer at our agency and learn about the law enforcement career field. Several of our former Explorers now have command staff positions in our agency, so this is a great way for our youth to find out if this is a career for them.
If you enjoy fishing or would like to provide support to the men and women of our agency, this tournament is a great way to do just that. I encourage you to get involved and help us make our agency and our community a better place to work and play.
For more information, contact tournament director Nick Kaller at 727-514-8417 or email FishingForFamilies.org.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the Pasco County School Board began a fundraising drive last year for a new initiative called Stop the Bleed. Last year’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida once again starkly showed the need for training and resources to be available in shootings and other mass casualty incidents. Right here in our agency, one of our K9 deputies recently received a life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg where a tourniquet was quickly applied that probably saved his life.
The Stop the Bleed campaign is a national initiative, which aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, like active shooter incidents. Training is provided by medical personnel who are experts in the initial stages of trauma management and is tailored to teach quick, life-saving measures that can be provided to anybody in the event of an emergency.
Thanks to the partnership with Mike Fasano and the Pasco Tax Collectors Office, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and our own Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, we have raised enough money to put one life station in every high school by the start of this school year. Members from our Pasco Sheriff’s Explorer program assisted in recording a brief training video that will be played in every high school informing students and staff about the LIFE™ kits and how to use them.
For more information about the national initiative, please visit www.BleedingControl.org .
The Stop the Bleed campaign is a national initiative, which aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, like active shooter incidents. Training is provided by medical personnel who are experts in the initial stages of trauma management and is tailored to teach quick, life-saving measures that can be provided to anybody in the event of an emergency.
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As part of this campaign, each Pasco County school will be provided with three LIFE™ Stations containing five trauma kits in each. The Life Stations will be placed in strategic locations to be rapidly accessed in an emergency, such as an active shooter situation. The initial costs for all of the quality, long-lasting kits needed is $250,000. These stations also include one casualty extraction litter housed in the LIFE Pack, along with other important items that can assist in saving lives, such as:
- 1 Fold-out Product Instruction
- 2 Pair Nitrile Gloves (Latex Free)
- 1 Emergency Scissors
- 1 Tourniquet
- 1 Blood clotting Hemostatic Dressing
- 1 Compressed Gauze
- 1 Trauma Bandage
- 1 Chest Seal (twin pack)
Thanks to the partnership with Mike Fasano and the Pasco Tax Collectors Office, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and our own Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, we have raised enough money to put one life station in every high school by the start of this school year. Members from our Pasco Sheriff’s Explorer program assisted in recording a brief training video that will be played in every high school informing students and staff about the LIFE™ kits and how to use them.
For more information about the national initiative, please visit www.BleedingControl.org .
The start of the 2019-20 school year in Pasco County is August 12 and I urge parents and their children to familiarize themselves with important school safety information provided by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Parents and guardians should understand that student and staff safety is the top priority for our agency on our school campuses. It bears repeating that no weapons, illegal drugs, and tobacco products are allowed on any Pasco school campus. This includes vaping products. Unfortunately, there are too many students arrested for possession violations every year for all of these products.
Making direct or indirect threats to commit acts of violence on any school campus, whether joking or not, is illegal in Florida. It is a felony to threaten any gun violence at a Florida school. The law previously only mentioned threats by bombing, but now any such threat is considered serious and no leniency is given for students who are “only joking.” We must consider any such threat, verbal or written, as serious and we will and have arrested any student making such threats.
Last year, the state Legislature amended the law, (FS 836.10) Written Threats to Kill, making it a felony to convey threats of gun violence or acts of terrorism against any person in writing or through any electronic record, which includes posts to social media. Any person who makes, posts, or transmits a threat in a writing or other record, including an electronic record, to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, in any manner that would allow another person to view the threat commits a felony of the second degree.
In a partnership with the Pasco County School Board, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office places law enforcement deputies on middle and high school campuses through the school resource officer (SRO) program. The primary role of the SRO is the safety and security of our students and faculty. These full-time deputies investigate any crimes committed on campus and any allegations of child abuse off-campus. SROs ensure that our school grounds are safe during the school day and at school events. Every parent should get to know their child’s school resource officer and turn to that individual for any questions about their child’s safety on campus. Parents should encourage their children to report any suspicious behavior or circumstances to their SRO, school safety guard, or a school official immediately.
There are several ways for students or a parent to report concerning or suspicious activity and you can do so anonymously. This includes a new smart phone application funded by the Florida state legislature called FortifyFL, which is available on both the Apple and Google phone app stores. You can also submit a tip to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office by visiting our website at PascoSheriff.com and clicking on the Submit a Tip link.
The official platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about any major incidents or safety concerns about a school, please follow us at Facebook.com/PascoSheriff.
June 1 marks the official start of the hurricane season in the United States. Last year, Pasco County again dodged a bullet when Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle, which was recently upgraded to a Level 5 hurricane due to its destructive power. This reminds us that it can happen here and we all need to be prepared as much as possible when the unthinkable happens. It is that time of year for all of us to go over our hurricane and disaster preparedness before it is too late.
Personal/Family Preparedness
- Know your risk. Know whether you are in an evacuation zone and if so, which one.
- Develop a plan for sheltering your family whether it is with friends, family, hurricane shelters, or your own house. Let your family and friends know where you are relocating to in case communication infrastructure is damaged in the storm.
- Stock up supplies. Water, non-perishable food, batteries, toiletries, first aid supplies, medications, cash, and fuel. Do not forget about extra supplies for your pets too! You should have enough water (one gallon per person per day) and food for at least 7 days.
- Items for a “go-bag” (such as a duffle bag or suitcase) include blankets; electrical chargers; games, etc. Consider obtaining kennels for pets if you do not already have one.
- Ensure pet vaccinations and related records are up-to-date.
Home Preparedness
- Purchase plywood and fabricate shutters for your windows now.
- Do not wait until days before the storm when you will likely not be able to find necessary supplies. If you already have storm shutters, locate and inspect them for any necessary repair.
- Trim trees, remove dead or damaged trees, pick up and dispose of all limbs and other debris on or near your property.
- Secure garbage cans, flower pots, lawn furniture, etc., so they do not become projectiles during a storm.
- Obtain sandbags now. Do not wait until everyone else is trying to do the same thing.
- Purchase or inspect your current tarps, tie-downs, and straps to assist with securing large items in your yard, like a boat or ATV. Have them ready along with a plan in case you need it. Pre-planning reduces prep-time.
- Purchase or inspect your current equipment (chainsaws, pole saws, generators, etc.) to make sure they do not require any maintenance.
- Check house for pre-existing damage that could be aggravated during a storm. Consider a roof inspection.
- Clear and clean gutters. Seal windows and doors.
- If you intend on sheltering your family at your residence, consider identifying or constructing a safe room.
Financial Preparedness
- Review your homeowner’s insurance policy – know there is typically a 30-day waiting period so the time to obtain adequate coverage is now. Do not wait for a storm.
- Review clauses covering damage related to wind, water, flooding, and specifically hurricanes. Most insurance policies have a separate hurricane deductible and most do not cover damage from flooding without separate flood insurance.
- Make copies of and/or protect important documents. Back-up important electronic files.
- Document valuable items. Record serial numbers.
Visit FloridaDisaster.org or Pascocountyfl.net/365/Emergency-Management for more information on evacuation routes and emergency preparedness.
Our agency recently lost one of our members who took her own life.
While the reasons why she did this may only be known to her, this act affected everyone from her family, to her friends,
and coworkers. Probably everyone has been touched in some way by the tragedy of suicide.
No profession is immune and high-stress jobs are especially vulnerable, including law enforcement, doctors, lawyers,
and other prominent career fields. But no profession, no culture, and no socio-economic group is exempt from suicide.
I hope everyone knows that there are resources for anyone contemplating taking their life. We all know that the stresses from life, our work, and our family can be overwhelming at times. But these stresses can be dealt with, with the assistance of professionals and support from people who care.
We can help our friends or loved ones who may be contemplating suicide. Many individuals who are thinking about it may give signs to those close to them, even verbalizing suicidal thoughts. Always take such comments seriously and try to get the person to open up about what they mean.
Unfortunately, some people believe that showing signs of pressure or the difficulty of dealing with the stresses of their lives is a weakness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People naturally seek out medical care if they are seriously injured. It should be the same with mental or emotional health issues. It takes a lot of courage to seek help for pain or trauma that is not visible on the outside but can be just as damaging.
Some signs of people who may be thinking of harming themselves include the following:
People who think that they may be suffering from depression or other mental health issues can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has a Helpline at 1-800-950-6264, or text NAMI to 741-741. The local Pasco County chapter can be reached at 727-992-9653.
Anyone who is having thoughts of harming themselves should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline Center calls are free and confidential and are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained crisis workers. This person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support, and get you the help you need. These counselors are trained to help youth, disaster survivors, veterans, loss survivors, LGBTQ+, and basically any individual in crisis.
I urge anyone, or the loved ones and friends of anyone, who may be showing signs of harming themselves to reach out and find support. It may not be easy, but there are many who have been in the same situation as you who have learned to find a way to survive their trauma, often with the support of friends and family. You are worth it, and I know that others in your life will tell you the same. Help is available.
I hope everyone knows that there are resources for anyone contemplating taking their life. We all know that the stresses from life, our work, and our family can be overwhelming at times. But these stresses can be dealt with, with the assistance of professionals and support from people who care.
We can help our friends or loved ones who may be contemplating suicide. Many individuals who are thinking about it may give signs to those close to them, even verbalizing suicidal thoughts. Always take such comments seriously and try to get the person to open up about what they mean.
Unfortunately, some people believe that showing signs of pressure or the difficulty of dealing with the stresses of their lives is a weakness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People naturally seek out medical care if they are seriously injured. It should be the same with mental or emotional health issues. It takes a lot of courage to seek help for pain or trauma that is not visible on the outside but can be just as damaging.
Some signs of people who may be thinking of harming themselves include the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug abuse
- Aggression
- Isolation or withdrawal from family and friends
- Talk of hopelessness
- Talk of suicide
People who think that they may be suffering from depression or other mental health issues can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has a Helpline at 1-800-950-6264, or text NAMI to 741-741. The local Pasco County chapter can be reached at 727-992-9653.
Anyone who is having thoughts of harming themselves should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline Center calls are free and confidential and are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained crisis workers. This person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support, and get you the help you need. These counselors are trained to help youth, disaster survivors, veterans, loss survivors, LGBTQ+, and basically any individual in crisis.
I urge anyone, or the loved ones and friends of anyone, who may be showing signs of harming themselves to reach out and find support. It may not be easy, but there are many who have been in the same situation as you who have learned to find a way to survive their trauma, often with the support of friends and family. You are worth it, and I know that others in your life will tell you the same. Help is available.
Automobile burglaries continue to be one of the easiest preventable crimes, not only in our county but across the nation.
Most auto burglaries involve unlocked doors, with items of value left inside.
Crooks know the habits of people, and they look for the path of least resistance
that can gain them money or valuables to steal.
While most people wouldn’t consider leaving their homes or apartments unlocked, we see that all too often cars are left unlocked with purses, wallets, computers, cellphones, even guns inside, that are easy pickings for thieves.
With the advent of home security cameras, we often see videos of groups of individuals who will drive through neighborhoods, get dropped off by a vehicle, and then roam through the neighborhoods, testing the doors of cars and trucks parked in the driveway. These roaming bands of thieves will move from house to house, street to street, grabbing whatever they can from unlocked vehicles. No neighborhood is safe, not even gated communities, as sometimes the thieves know someone who will give them the code to enter.
It is important to realize that becoming the victim of an auto burglary may only be the first of your problems. If you did leave credit or debit cards inside the vehicle, thieves will quickly use those to make fraudulent purchases as quickly as possible, before you realize that they are gone and can cancel them with your banking institution. I don’t have to inform you what the danger of leaving a gun inside an unlocked vehicle can lead to in the hands of a criminal.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office continues to urge citizens to change their habits, always locking your vehicle doors no matter where you are. This includes at work, when you are running errands like at the store or gym, at school, and of course, at home. Do not leave anything of value in plain sight in your vehicle, as even a locked door will not prevent a thief from breaking your window to get inside to steal it. If possible, it is always best to park your vehicle inside a locked garage. If that isn’t possible, a lighted driveway may deter some thieves. A security camera system may also help, but it is no guarantee, as we have seen many examples of thieves stealing from cars and trucks on security video.
We started a social media campaign a few years ago where we remind people every night to remember to lock their doors. Called the “9 PM Routine,” if you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you will receive that reminder as well. The campaign has been so successful, it has been copied by law enforcement agencies across the country and Canada.
I urge all Pasco citizens to try and change their habit of leaving their vehicle unlocked with valuable items in plain sight. I shouldn’t have to remind you not to leave the keys in the vehicle as well, but unfortunately, many citizens still do, and are surprised when their cars are stolen. If you work consciously enough to change a habit, it can eventually become a subconscious one, hopefully like that when you get into a vehicle you automatically buckle up for safety. If you start to work on forming a habit of when you get out of a vehicle, you take your keys and make sure all the doors are locked, it too can become a subconscious routine as well.
While most people wouldn’t consider leaving their homes or apartments unlocked, we see that all too often cars are left unlocked with purses, wallets, computers, cellphones, even guns inside, that are easy pickings for thieves.
With the advent of home security cameras, we often see videos of groups of individuals who will drive through neighborhoods, get dropped off by a vehicle, and then roam through the neighborhoods, testing the doors of cars and trucks parked in the driveway. These roaming bands of thieves will move from house to house, street to street, grabbing whatever they can from unlocked vehicles. No neighborhood is safe, not even gated communities, as sometimes the thieves know someone who will give them the code to enter.
It is important to realize that becoming the victim of an auto burglary may only be the first of your problems. If you did leave credit or debit cards inside the vehicle, thieves will quickly use those to make fraudulent purchases as quickly as possible, before you realize that they are gone and can cancel them with your banking institution. I don’t have to inform you what the danger of leaving a gun inside an unlocked vehicle can lead to in the hands of a criminal.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office continues to urge citizens to change their habits, always locking your vehicle doors no matter where you are. This includes at work, when you are running errands like at the store or gym, at school, and of course, at home. Do not leave anything of value in plain sight in your vehicle, as even a locked door will not prevent a thief from breaking your window to get inside to steal it. If possible, it is always best to park your vehicle inside a locked garage. If that isn’t possible, a lighted driveway may deter some thieves. A security camera system may also help, but it is no guarantee, as we have seen many examples of thieves stealing from cars and trucks on security video.
We started a social media campaign a few years ago where we remind people every night to remember to lock their doors. Called the “9 PM Routine,” if you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you will receive that reminder as well. The campaign has been so successful, it has been copied by law enforcement agencies across the country and Canada.
I urge all Pasco citizens to try and change their habit of leaving their vehicle unlocked with valuable items in plain sight. I shouldn’t have to remind you not to leave the keys in the vehicle as well, but unfortunately, many citizens still do, and are surprised when their cars are stolen. If you work consciously enough to change a habit, it can eventually become a subconscious one, hopefully like that when you get into a vehicle you automatically buckle up for safety. If you start to work on forming a habit of when you get out of a vehicle, you take your keys and make sure all the doors are locked, it too can become a subconscious routine as well.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the David Maus Foundation to raise awareness about this silent scourge in our community.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the exploitation of vulnerable persons for commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude, plus the inability to extricate oneself from that situation. The trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control the victim.
Light Up the Night is what we call our community event to raise awareness on human trafficking. We have a number of fundraisers scheduled to help us fund our efforts. The first event is the 5K Run/1M walk, which begins at 8 a.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel. The 5k Run is chip-timed, and participants in both the 5K Run and the 1M Walk receive a t-shirt and medal for participating.
The Light Up the Night concert and vigil begins at 6 p.m. at the Trinity College of Florida, 2430 Welbilt Blvd., Trinity. The event will include music by Jonny Diaz, educational information about human trafficking, and a kids’ zone.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade, netting billions of dollars worldwide annually. There are over 20 million persons held in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history. It is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million are trafficked annually worldwide with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 being trafficked into the United States every year.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state.
Possible indications of human trafficking include:
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the exploitation of vulnerable persons for commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude, plus the inability to extricate oneself from that situation. The trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control the victim.
Light Up the Night is what we call our community event to raise awareness on human trafficking. We have a number of fundraisers scheduled to help us fund our efforts. The first event is the 5K Run/1M walk, which begins at 8 a.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel. The 5k Run is chip-timed, and participants in both the 5K Run and the 1M Walk receive a t-shirt and medal for participating.
The Light Up the Night concert and vigil begins at 6 p.m. at the Trinity College of Florida, 2430 Welbilt Blvd., Trinity. The event will include music by Jonny Diaz, educational information about human trafficking, and a kids’ zone.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade, netting billions of dollars worldwide annually. There are over 20 million persons held in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history. It is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million are trafficked annually worldwide with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 being trafficked into the United States every year.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state.
Possible indications of human trafficking include:
- Constantly accompanied by a controlling person or boss; not speaking on their own behalf.
- Lack of control over personal schedule, money, identification or travel documents.
- Transported to and from work; lives and works in the same place.
- Debt owed to employer/crew leader makes them unable to leave their job.
Single participants can join the tournament for $600, which includes the food and afterparty described above, along with a tournament shirt, gift bag, and the placement in a boat with two other anglers, bait and tackle provided.
Paying $2,000 to become a Silver Sponsor gives you two angler spots with another paying angler to be paired up with your group. You also can have your business logo on our event signage, and your business promotional materials can be added to the tournament gift bags. You also receive all the items mentioned above for the single angler participants.
A $3,000 Gold Sponsorship gives you everything described in the Silver Sponsor level, with the addition of one more angler, for a total of three in your boat. You also can display your business logo on the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities website and display your business banner at Catches during the tournament.
We had a great day out on the water last year and many fish were caught (and released). We look forward to an even better event this year. For more information about our tournament, please contact Community Engagement Director Nicholas Kaller at 727-514-8417 or NKaller@pascosheriff.org.
The second event we have scheduled next month is the annual Pasco Community Night, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Shops at Wiregrass Mall in Wesley Chapel. This is where we bring together our crime prevention and safety awareness programs for citizens to view. Citizens will also have the chance to meet many of the hard-working and dedicated deputies who serve them, including some that they may have seen on the nationally-televised A&E show “Live PD.” Our horses from our Mounted Unit will be on hand, some of our K9 teams, and our volunteer Jeep Unit.
If you’ve ever had any questions for the men and woman who put their lives on the line for us.
Living in Florida, we enjoy some of the best weather in the nation. Combined with the abundance of water in our state, to include swimming pools, we have the means to enjoy outdoor living almost year-round. However, this love of the weather and water creates a dangerous situation for children who have not yet learned to swim. You can reduce the odds of child injury or death around the water, especially swimming pools, by adopting extra safety steps that include:
- Make sure kids learn to swim
- Ensure there is at least a four-foot high fence around all pools and use self-closing and self-latching gates
- Always watch kids in and around the water
- Stay away from drains
- Know life-saving skills, such as CPR
- Have a charged phone close by at all times
- If a child is missing, check the pool first
- Ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers
- Install an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool
- Have a wave-activated alarm in the pool
- Have life-saving equipment such as life rings or reaching poles available for use
For more information and resources for pool and spa safety, visit: Pool Safety or Red Cross.
Bridging Freedom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of combatting minor sex-trafficking by bringing restoration to those rescued and victim prevention to those who may be susceptible. Bridging Freedom relies on the generosity of individuals and corporations to pursue and fulfill its mission.
Bridging Freedom’s goal is to build and operate a therapeutic safe home campus in the Tampa Bay area – the first of its kind in Florida – where rescued children and teens will receive long-term holistic care to help them heal.
On Tuesday, January 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., a fundraiser for this safe home is scheduled at the Hillsborough County Bar Association, 1610 North Tampa Street, in Tampa. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door on the night of the event. Child sex-trafficking is a horrific crime that causes significant physical, mental and emotional trauma. Victims have the best chance of recovery when provided long-term, individualized and interdisciplinary care in a secure environment. Sadly, there are less than five facilities nationwide that provide this type of care, able to serve a total of only approximately 100 victims at any given time. Florida ranks third in the number of calls received by the national human trafficking hotline.
At Bridging Freedom’s therapeutic safe home campus, survivors will receive:
- Medical care from a clinical director, clinical therapists and licensed nurses
- Alcohol and drug rehabilitation from licensed medical professionals
- Therapeutic recreation, such as equine and art therapy, and gardening
- Education from teachers board-certified through the Florida Department of Education
- Life skills to help survivors adjust to life outside of the home
- Career development and shadowing to prepare teen survivors to be independent adults
- Transitional mentorship to provide support for survivors after they leave the home
For more information on the fundraiser or Bridging Freedom, please visit their website at Bridging Freedom. If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Tip Line at 1-888-373-7888.
The Pasco Sheriff Office is providing several safety tips for citizens who may be travelling, shopping or staying at home during the holidays. Although the holidays should be a time for celebrating with family and friends, it is important to remember that criminals are also on the prowl, looking for ways to separate you from your money and property.
SHOPPING
- Never carry more money than necessary while shopping and be extra careful to protect your credit cards from loss or theft. Women: Consider placing valuables in a secure pocket rather than a purse that can be easily grabbed from you. Men: Do not carry your wallet in your rear trouser pocket; carry it in the breast pocket of your jacket or in your front trouser pocket.
- Always park in well-lighted areas, have your car keys ready before leaving a store, and look inside your car before entering. Your holiday activities can be made even safer by going with others rather than alone. Don’t hesitate to ask store security to walk you to your car if you see something suspicious or believe someone is following you. Be wary of vehicles with dark window tinting, as it makes it difficult to see anyone inside.
- If you are shopping in several locations, lock your packages in the trunk. Thieves won’t hesitate to break out a window to steal your gifts.
- Visit automatic teller machines only in the day and at populated locations. If anyone is loitering around the ATM, or you think they look suspicious, go to another ATM.
- Confine your charitable giving to reputable, established organizations, preferably those with a local branch. Con artists will try to prey on your holiday cheer to convince you to give them money by telling you a tale of misfortune. Tell them you would like to contact law enforcement first to help check out their story. Don’t be surprised if they don’t stick around.
- If solicited by an unfamiliar organized charity, ask for literature so you can make an informed decision about giving. A reputable charity will be glad to provide material that explains how your money will be used and list the required state permit information.
- If solicited by telephone, do not give out credit card or bank account information. Do not allow door-to-door solicitors into your home until you are certain of their reliability. Instead, ask them to send you information by mail so you can make an informed decision and mail in your contribution.
- Keep the outside of your home well lighted with doors locked and window curtains closed. Report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Don’t display gifts beneath the Christmas tree that can be seen from windows or doors. This can be a quick and easy heist for burglars, but a painful and sad crime against you.
- Be aware when packages are scheduled for delivery to your residence. “Porch pirates” are often on the prowl, looking to steal any packages left unattended. If you can’t be home, maybe see if you can have the packages delivered to a trusted neighbor or family member at a different location.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco’s Kids food drive is now accepting both monetary and food donations.
The proceeds from this worthy cause will be given directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students. This year those recipients include the Pasco School system and the Boys and Girls Club in Lacoochee.
According to the District School Board of Pasco County, there are more than 915 homeless children in Pasco County alone. This includes those that are “doubled up,” or living in another’s household; living in shelters; or unsheltered. Unfortunately, our deputies all too often see the results of malnourished children in our community, whether they are homeless or not.
Last year, we collected nearly 3,000 food items for needy Pasco children. The collection process to support our food drive will remain the same. Monetary donations are accepted, and we are also looking for non-perishable boxed or canned food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables. Please do not donate any food in glass containers, which break easily.
There are donation boxes placed in the lobbies of Pasco Sheriff’s Office buildings throughout the county. A number of area churches have also agreed to have boxes located in their buildings to assist in the collection of food. Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with Food Drive in the “For” line. They can be mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654.
If you would like to donate or have any questions about Feeding Pasco’s Kids, please contact the Sheriff’s Community Relations Office at 1-727-844-7759, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
I invite all fishing enthusiasts to join us on Friday November 3, 2017, for the inaugural Fishing for Families Saltwater Tournament. Check-in will be at Catches Waterfront Grill, 7811 Bayview Street in Port Richey, beginning at 8 a.m. This charity tournament will benefit Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, specifically the Family Support Network, the Pasco Sheriff’s K9 Association, and the Youth Fishing and Environmental Center.
We are still taking registrations for both anglers and sponsorships. The cost for a single angler is $600 and includes breakfast, a boxed lunch with beverages, bait, tackle, a Polo shirt, gift bag, and an after-party at Catches Waterfront grill. A total of three anglers will be placed with fishing guides on each boat. Tournament participants must join their designated fishing boat and guide; no personal watercraft or boats will be permitted.
There are also sponsorships still available and include a Gold Sponsor for $3,000; a Silver Sponsor for $2,000; and breakfast and lunch sponsors for $250.
On Tuesday, January 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., a fundraiser for this safe home is scheduled at the Hillsborough County Bar Association, 1610 North Tampa Street, in Tampa. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door on the night of the event. Child sex-trafficking is a horrific crime that causes significant physical, mental and emotional trauma. Victims have the best chance of recovery when provided long-term, individualized and interdisciplinary care in a secure environment. Sadly, there are less than five facilities nationwide that provide this type of care, able to serve a total of only approximately 100 victims at any given time. Florida ranks third in the number of calls received by the national human trafficking hotline.
The organizations that will benefit from our fishing tournament include the:
- Family Support Network, which is a networking group that connects agency members with the proper support for benefits, mental health, and other tools to succeed;
- Pasco Sheriff’s K9 Association, which provides support to county K9 teams;
- Youth Fishing and Environmental Center, a proposed outdoor and activity center for children
Our fishing tournament will follow the guidelines of the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, which is providing the judging. It will be a photo-based catch and release tournament with species including redfish, trout, and snook. We hope that you can join us for a day of great fishing and raising money for three worthy causes. For more information on the tournament, please contact Nicholas Kaller at NKaller@pascosheriff.org or by 727-514-8417.
Most law enforcement agencies in the country contend with similar issues and crimes. Domestic violence, shoplifting, assault and battery, the list goes on and on. We as law enforcement professionals must constantly train to learn how to thwart criminals and change the laws to make it harder for them to function and for us to catch them.
The advent of social media over the last 10 years has aided law enforcement agencies in directly communicating with citizens in near real-time about the issues we face in our communities and how to protect ourselves from criminals. This is especially important in times of disaster or crimes sprees. For example, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office has provided our citizens with up-to-date information during hurricanes and flooding in our county.
In 2013, we began an informational campaign at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office aimed at reducing the amount of car burglaries in our community. “Keep What’s Yours, Lock Your Doors” is a basic reminder that by merely locking your vehicle doors can stop criminals on the lookout for this easy crime of opportunity. We found that over two-thirds of all of these burglaries were due to people simply not locking their doors!
Another useful and successful application of social media pioneered by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office has been the use of reminders to prompt citizens to lock their vehicle and home doors. Since its inception in 2016, the 9 p.m. Routine has resulted in a 36 percent reduction in car burglaries in our county! Our success has been repeated not only from other Tampa Bay-area agencies who have started their own 9 p.m. Routine campaigns, but from agencies across the country and in Canada! Our reminders are sent out nightly via the social media platforms Twitter and Facebook.
If you have not already signed up to follow the Pasco Sheriff’s Office on our social media platforms, I urge you to do so. This is the quickest way to receive the most up-to-date, accurate and official information from our agency. These include:
August 14 marks the start of the 2017-18 school year and I urge parents to familiarize themselves and their children with important school safety information provided by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Parents and guardians should understand that student and employee safety is our top priority for our agency on our school campuses. It bears repeating, for there are violations every year, that no weapons, drugs, and tobacco products are allowed on any Pasco school campus.
It is also important to note that threats of violence are also illegal. The law was vague on this topic for years, so for this reason, a new law went into effect last year that makes it a felony to threaten any gun violence at a Florida school. The law previously only mentioned threats by bombing, but now any such threat is considered serious and no leniency is given for students who are “only joking.” We must consider any such threat, verbal or written, as serious and we will and have arrested any student making such threats.
We, unfortunately, had a rash of these threats last year and there is zero tolerance for any type of threat. The safety of our students is paramount and these type of threats will be taken very seriously by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. We urge parents to talk to their children and remind them that words have meaning and that threats are never jokes.
In addition, we encourage every parent to get to know their child’s school resource officer and turn to that individual for any questions about their child’s safety on campus. The school resource officer program is the successful practice of placing law enforcement deputies on middle school and high school campuses. These full-time deputies investigate allegations of child abuse off-campus and any crimes committed on campus and ensure that our school grounds are safe during the school day and at school events.
Finally, regardless of if you have a child in school this year or not, we urge all citizens to watch for school buses, observe school zones, and be careful of students who may be walking or biking to school. The safety of our students is our top priority.
June 1 marked the official start of the 2017 Hurricane season and I urge Pasco residents to have a detailed plan to prepare their property and loved ones for any possible damage from any storms that may affect our county in the next five months.
Although Pasco residents on the West side of the county have experienced the pain of flooding several times over the last few years, we have not had any hurricane damage here since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Don’t become complacent! All areas west of U.S. 19 are in a flood zone should a direct hit from a hurricane occur. And as we found out from the storms of ’04-’05, wind damage is possible anywhere in the state when a hurricane passes through.
Steps you need to take before a hurricane approaches:
- Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the local hurricane evacuation route(s) to take and have a plan for where you can stay.
- Put together a disaster supply kit, including a flashlight, batteries, cash, required medicine, first aid supplies, and copies of your critical information if you need to evacuate. Remember to also have a plan for pets.
- If you are not in an area that is advised to evacuate and you decide to stay in your home, plan for adequate supplies in case you lose power and water for several days and you are not able to leave due to flooding or blocked roads.
- Learn how to prepare your home from wind damage before a storm threatens your area.
- Consider insuring your home or business from flood loss.
- Make sure that all other aspects of your home are as protected from hurricanes as possible.
- Make a family emergency communication plan. Your loved ones need to know how to contact you before the storm, and especially afterwards, when communication infrastructure may be damaged or overwhelmed.
Pasco county government has launched a new emergency notification system called Alert Pasco, which you can find at Alert Pasco . You must register to be part of the system, and we encourage all Pasco County residents to sign up.
All of this information is also available on Pasco Emergency Management’s website at Emergency Management
During times of emergency, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office website and social media platforms are here to provide the most up-to-date information to citizens.
Florida citizens enjoy some of the best weather in the nation. Combined with the abundance of water in our state, to include swimming pools, we have the means to enjoy outdoor living almost year round.
However, this love of the weather and water creates a dangerous situation for children who have not yet learned to swim. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4.
The CPSC estimates that each year nearly 300 children younger than five drown in swimming pools and spas and an additional 4,000 children that age go to hospital emergency rooms due to submersion injuries in pools and spas.
You can reduce the odds of child injury or death around the water, especially swimming pools, by adopting extra safety steps that include:
- Make sure kids learn to swim
- Ensure there is at least a four-foot high fence around all pools and use self-closing and self-latching gates
- Always watch kids in and around the water
- Stay away from drains
- Know life-saving skills
- Have a charged phone close by at all times
- If a child is missing, check the pool first
- Know how to perform CPR on children and adults
- Ensure all pools and spas have compliant drain covers
- Install an alarm on the door leading from the house to the pool
- Have a wave-activated alarm in the pool
- Have life-saving equipment such as life rings or reaching poles available for use
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
May 2017
I invite all citizens to attend the 2017 Pasco Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service, scheduled at 10 a.m., Friday, May 5,
on the north lawn of the Historic Courthouse, located at 37918 Meridian Avenue in Dade City.
The memorial honors eight officers killed in the line of duty in Pasco County, from 1909 with Deputy Sheriff Shelly Nicks
to 2011 when Hernando County Deputy Sheriff John Mecklenburg was killed in Pasco County while pursuing a suspect on U.S. Highway 41.
The following officers will be remembered and family members from each of the lost officers have also been invited to attend the memorial:
Deputy John Mecklenburg/Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: July 3, 2011: Deputy Mecklenburg was killed after his patrol car sped out of control on U.S. Highway 41 during a vehicle pursuit.
Lieutenant Charles Bo Harrison/Pasco Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: Sunday, June 1, 2003: Lieutenant “Bo” Harrison, 56, was shot and killed while on surveillance at about 2 a.m. near a nightclub on U.S. Route 301 in Lacoochee.
Trooper James Bradford-Jean Crooks/Florida Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 19, 1998: Trooper “Brad” Crooks, 23, was shot and killed while in a chase of a suspect who had just killed two Tampa detectives, Randy Bell and Ricky Childers.
Trooper Crooks was attempting to stop the suspect who had car-jacked another vehicle when he was shot.
Deputy Sheriff John Herbert McCabe/Pasco Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: Saturday, June 26, 1948: Deputy “Bert” McCabe, 24, died from injuries sustained in an on-duty vehicle crash on U.S.
41 in Drexel/Land O’ Lakes in response to a call about some stolen orange grove heaters.
Deputy William Henry O’Berry/Pasco Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: Friday, January 1, 1926: Deputy Henry O’ Berry, 36, was shot and killed while investigating a Pasco County felony.
The suspect resisted arrest as Deputy O’ Berry placed one handcuff on the suspect’s wrist.
The suspect fled behind a turpentine still facility as the deputy pursued. Behind the building, the suspect shot Deputy O’ Berry in the neck.
Constable Arthur Fleece Crenshaw/Pasco County Constable
Prohibition Agent John Van Waters U.S. Department of Justice – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 4, 1922: Pasco Constable Arthur “Fleece” Crenshaw, 31, of Trilby, and Federal Prohibition Agent John Van Waters, 46,
of Dade City were shot and killed during an ambush as they returned from an investigation northeast of Dade City.
Deputy Sheldon S. Nicks/Pasco Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: Saturday, May 8, 1909
Deputy Sheriff Shelly Nicks, 23, was shot and killed while assisting his father, the Fivay Town Marshal, as they served a warrant.
The suspect pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Marshal Nicks. Deputy Nicks jumped in front of the gun as the suspect fired a round.
The bullet instantly killed Deputy Nicks as it passed through him and then lodged in his father’s shoulder.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
April 2017
I am excited to announce the development of a new law enforcement training facility in our county that can have great advancement
opportunities for both law enforcement and our local economy.
The Florida Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactical Training, or FIRST, is planned to be housed near the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The objective of the current initiative is to create a physical space for indoor and outdoor facilities for the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Sciences (IFAAS) This was established as a State of Florida Type II Research Institute at the University of South Florida in 2014 to provide a range of services to law enforcement and medical examiners around the State. The FIRST will include lab space for research, applied forensic services in case work, education in the areas of forensics, anthropology, geochemistry, legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction, and cyber forensics. This will also include a classroom, morgue, training facility, research and service labs, and evidence storage. The facility will service the entire State of Florida and be a resource to other Universities and forensic sciences centers throughout the State and beyond. Most notably, it will be the only research center offering this unique range of critical services in Florida, and only one of six in the world.
The Florida Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactical Training, or FIRST, is planned to be housed near the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The objective of the current initiative is to create a physical space for indoor and outdoor facilities for the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Sciences (IFAAS) This was established as a State of Florida Type II Research Institute at the University of South Florida in 2014 to provide a range of services to law enforcement and medical examiners around the State. The FIRST will include lab space for research, applied forensic services in case work, education in the areas of forensics, anthropology, geochemistry, legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction, and cyber forensics. This will also include a classroom, morgue, training facility, research and service labs, and evidence storage. The facility will service the entire State of Florida and be a resource to other Universities and forensic sciences centers throughout the State and beyond. Most notably, it will be the only research center offering this unique range of critical services in Florida, and only one of six in the world.
This project will create a partnership between the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco-Hernando State College,
and others as the only major, state-wide resource for forensic research, training, and criminal investigations that will benefit
the entire state, through a land use agreement for space including an outdoor research area and forensic science and intelligence facility.
Through education and training, the facility will be able to enhance preparedness and build capacity to prepare for, prevent, and respond to missing person investigations, homicides, and critical incidents such as complex coordinated terrorist attacks. Recent events such as the Pulse nightclub massacre demonstrate the great need for communities to build and sustain capabilities of local, state, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions to enhance their preparedness for complex critical incidents. Research is needed to identify capability gaps, train personnel, and the whole community to implement the plans and processes and build needed capabilities.
Through this initiative, we will be able to increase the Institute’s capacity for research and training in the following areas:
Through education and training, the facility will be able to enhance preparedness and build capacity to prepare for, prevent, and respond to missing person investigations, homicides, and critical incidents such as complex coordinated terrorist attacks. Recent events such as the Pulse nightclub massacre demonstrate the great need for communities to build and sustain capabilities of local, state, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions to enhance their preparedness for complex critical incidents. Research is needed to identify capability gaps, train personnel, and the whole community to implement the plans and processes and build needed capabilities.
Through this initiative, we will be able to increase the Institute’s capacity for research and training in the following areas:
- Develop innovative new tools for forensic soil and bone chemistry, facial imaging, and remote sensing to be used at crime scenes.
- Create an indoor and outdoor space for evidence processing, testing, and storage in the areas of crime scene forensics (i.e., prints and tool mark evidence), cyber forensics, anthropology, legal medicine, geochemistry, 3D scanning and visualization, and DNA.
- Educate and provide advanced specialized training to law enforcement, prosecutors, medical examiners and the military in areas of violent crime scene processing and reconstruction.
- Promote creative, innovative, and replicable approaches to preparing for and responding to complex forensic scenes involving active shooters, explosive devices, multiple locations, and mass causalities.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
Feburary 2017
In last month’s newsletter we told you that the Pasco Sheriff’s Office is working to raise awareness about human trafficking in our community.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade, netting billions of dollars worldwide annually.
Experts estimate that there are over 20 million persons held in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history.
It is estimated that between 500,000 and 2 million are trafficked annually worldwide with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 being trafficked into the United States every year.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state.
We must collectively end human trafficking.
Our Light Up the Night event at Wiregrass Mall on January 14 is our community effort to raise awareness,
provide education, and seek to provide funds to frontline organizations impacting the victims of human trafficking.
These four organizations will be assisted with funds raised during our Light Up the Night event:
These four organizations will be assisted with funds raised during our Light Up the Night event:
- The US Institute against Human Trafficking, a home for minor boys who have been victims of human trafficking
- Redefining Refuge is a home for minor girls who are the victims of sex trafficking here in the Tampa area
- The Porch Light is also a home for female victims of human trafficking
- Bridging Freedom is a long-term therapeutic campus for minor girls who are also victims of sex trafficking in the Tampa area.
We are also taking the fight to those businesses that are known to traffic humans in our community.
This includes massage parlors, “gentleman” or strip clubs, nail salons, and agricultural businesses.
While not all of these businesses engage in illegal human trafficking, some knowingly do or they turn a blind eye to what is obviously illegal controlling of human workers.
Last month, Pasco deputies along with county personnel, visited several of these businesses to see if they were complying with county ordinances for fire safety, code enforcement, and a new ordinance that mandates adult establishments must have signage on the bathroom doors of every female bathroom and dressing rooms . These signs offer phone numbers and resources to people who feel like they might be the victims of human trafficking. These signs are written in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
In the first two adult businesses visited, Code Enforcement located 14 non-conforming violations, building department had 18 violations, and the Fire Investigator had 28 violations. Fines totaled more than $2,000. The violations included the new rule that requires special human trafficking signage. We will continue to monitor these businesses to ensure that they are compliant with the new human trafficking ordinance.
Last month, Pasco deputies along with county personnel, visited several of these businesses to see if they were complying with county ordinances for fire safety, code enforcement, and a new ordinance that mandates adult establishments must have signage on the bathroom doors of every female bathroom and dressing rooms . These signs offer phone numbers and resources to people who feel like they might be the victims of human trafficking. These signs are written in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
In the first two adult businesses visited, Code Enforcement located 14 non-conforming violations, building department had 18 violations, and the Fire Investigator had 28 violations. Fines totaled more than $2,000. The violations included the new rule that requires special human trafficking signage. We will continue to monitor these businesses to ensure that they are compliant with the new human trafficking ordinance.
If you think you have come into contact with a victim of human trafficking call the National Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline at 888-373-7888.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is partnering with several community businesses
for an event in January to raise awareness about this silent scourge in our community.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the exploitation of vulnerable persons for commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude, plus the inability to extricate oneself from that situation. The trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control the victim.
The name of the event to raise awareness about human trafficking is called Light Up the Night. All of the events are scheduled for Saturday, January 14, 2017. The first event is the Radiant 5K Run, which begins at 4 p.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel. An awards ceremony for the run will commence immediately after the race at 5 p.m. The Light Up the Night main event will be at The Shops of Wiregrass mall beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be located on the second level of the parking garage, located on the north end of the mall. This event will include music, educational information about human trafficking, and a kids’ zone.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade, netting billions of dollars worldwide annually. There are over 20 million persons held in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history. It is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million are trafficked annually worldwide with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 being trafficked into the United States every year.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state .
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that involves the exploitation of vulnerable persons for commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude, plus the inability to extricate oneself from that situation. The trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control the victim.
The name of the event to raise awareness about human trafficking is called Light Up the Night. All of the events are scheduled for Saturday, January 14, 2017. The first event is the Radiant 5K Run, which begins at 4 p.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel. An awards ceremony for the run will commence immediately after the race at 5 p.m. The Light Up the Night main event will be at The Shops of Wiregrass mall beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be located on the second level of the parking garage, located on the north end of the mall. This event will include music, educational information about human trafficking, and a kids’ zone.
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade, netting billions of dollars worldwide annually. There are over 20 million persons held in slavery in the world today, more than any other time in history. It is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million are trafficked annually worldwide with an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 being trafficked into the United States every year.
On a local scale, according to national human trafficking hotline tips and complaints, Florida ranks as third in the number of calls to the human trafficking hotline, with the Tampa Bay area being in the top three in the state .
Possible indications of human trafficking include:
- Constantly accompanied by a controlling person or boss; not speaking on their own behalf.
- Lack of control over personal schedule, money, identification or travel documents.
- Transported to and from work; lives and works in the same place.
- Debt owed to employer/crew leader makes them unable to leave their job
- Bruises, depression, fear, overly submissive.
If you think you have come into contact with a victim of human trafficking call the National Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline at (888) 373-7888.
Additional information can be found on the Pasco Sheriff’s website on
the Florida State Attorney General’s website at MyFlorida Legal.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is providing several safety tips for citizens who may be traveling, shopping or staying at home during the holidays. Although the holidays should be a time for celebrating with family and friends, it is important to remember that criminals are also on the prowl, looking for ways to separate you from your money and property.
SHOPPING
- Never carry more money than necessary while shopping and protect your credit cards from loss or theft. Women: Place valuables in a secure pocket rather than a purse that can be grabbed from you. Men: Carry your wallet in the breast pocket of your jacket or in your front trouser pocket.
- Always park in well-lighted areas, have your car keys ready before leaving a store, and look inside your car before entering. Don’t hesitate to ask store security to walk you to your car if you see something suspicious or believe someone is following you.
- Confine your charitable giving to reputable, established organizations, preferably those with a local branch. Con artists will try to prey on you to give them money by telling you a tale of misfortune. Tell them you would like to contact law enforcement first to help check out their story. Don’t be surprised if they don’t stick around.
- If solicited by an unfamiliar organized charity, ask for literature so you can make an informed decision about giving. A reputable charity will be glad to provide material that explains how your money will be used and list the required state permit information.
- If solicited by telephone, do not give out credit card or bank account information. Do not allow door-to-door solicitors into your home until you are certain of their reliability. Instead, ask them to send you information by mail so you can make an informed decision and mail in your contribution.
- Keep the outside of your home well-lit with doors locked and window curtains closed at night. Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Don’t display gifts beneath the Christmas tree that can be seen from windows.
- DO NOT announce on any of your social media platforms that you are on vacation with the dates you are leaving or returning. This includes both work and personal emails. If you must leave an auto response reply, it should contain as little information as possible. Example: I can’t come to the phone right now. Please leave a message, or I check my email often, so you can contact me at janedoe@email.com.
- Contact the Pasco Sheriff’s Office District Headquarters in your area and request they provide house checks while you are away. This is a free service. If you are not located in Pasco County you will have to call your local law enforcement agency. District Headquarter information for Pasco County can be found at PascoSheriff.com. Click on the “Contact” tab.
- Make arrangements to have someone cut your grass while you are away. If you have a lawn service, continue to have them provide the service. Do not announce to them you are leaving. Make sure your lawn and pool service is paid and up to date. This will prevent them from leaving a bill at your front door or mailbox.
- Stop all deliveries to include parcel packages and newspaper delivery.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
November 2016
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco’s Kids food drive is now accepting both monetary and food donations.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco’s Kids food drive is now accepting both monetary and food donations.
The proceeds from this worthy cause will be given directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students. This year those recipients include the Pasco School system, the Salvation Army, Sunrise Domestic Violence Shelter in Dade City, God’s Food 4 Life in Lacoochee and The Thomas Promise Foundation in Zephyrhills.
According to the District School Board of Pasco County, there are more than 915 homeless children in Pasco County alone. This includes those that are “doubled up,” or living in another’s household; living in shelters; or unsheltered. Unfortunately, our deputies all too often see the results of malnourished children in our community, whether they are homeless or not.
Last year, we collected nearly 5,000 food items for needy Pasco children. The collection process to support our food drive will remain the same. Monetary donations are accepted, and we are also looking for non-perishable boxed or canned food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables. Please do not donate any food in glass containers, which break easily.
There are donation boxes placed in the lobbies of Pasco Sheriff’s Office buildings throughout the county. A number of area churches have also agreed to have boxes located in their buildings to assist in the collection of food. Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with Food Drive in the “For” line. They can be mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654. All donations must be received by Friday, December 9.
If you would like to donate or have any questions about Feeding Pasco’s Kids, please contact the Sheriff’s Community Relations Office at 727-844-7759, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The proceeds from this worthy cause will be given directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students. This year those recipients include the Pasco School system, the Salvation Army, Sunrise Domestic Violence Shelter in Dade City, God’s Food 4 Life in Lacoochee and The Thomas Promise Foundation in Zephyrhills.
According to the District School Board of Pasco County, there are more than 915 homeless children in Pasco County alone. This includes those that are “doubled up,” or living in another’s household; living in shelters; or unsheltered. Unfortunately, our deputies all too often see the results of malnourished children in our community, whether they are homeless or not.
Last year, we collected nearly 5,000 food items for needy Pasco children. The collection process to support our food drive will remain the same. Monetary donations are accepted, and we are also looking for non-perishable boxed or canned food items, such as instant potatoes and canned vegetables. Please do not donate any food in glass containers, which break easily.
There are donation boxes placed in the lobbies of Pasco Sheriff’s Office buildings throughout the county. A number of area churches have also agreed to have boxes located in their buildings to assist in the collection of food. Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with Food Drive in the “For” line. They can be mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654. All donations must be received by Friday, December 9.
If you would like to donate or have any questions about Feeding Pasco’s Kids, please contact the Sheriff’s Community Relations Office at 727-844-7759, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
August 2016
Florida is one of the top states for tornado activity. Our location next to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean helps to create this weather phenomenon when the warm, moist air from these waters meets the hot, dry land over our state. Our state is also in the path of the several hurricanes and tropical storms which form in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico every year, which can also spawn tornadoes. That is why all Pasco families should have an emergency plan. Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance. This includes how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.
Every emergency plan should include an emergency kit. This kit should contain food for at least three days, water, required medicines, a first aid kit, and additional survival items should you have to live without electrical power or should you have to leave your home.
An important tool that can save your life and the life of your loved ones is a NOAA Weather Radio. According to Florida Disaster, nearly 75 percent of tornado fatalities in Florida since 1950 have occurred between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., when people are least likely to be tuned into other sources of weather information. A NOAA Weather Radio is the lone government-operated radio system that provides National Weather Service severe weather warnings 24 hours a day. If you live in the path of the severe storm, and your family has a NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio, the radio will automatically sound an alarm and then broadcast the warning message, regardless of the time of day. The newer weather radios even allow you to program the alarm to sound for specific counties and hazards. If you are hard of hearing or a heavy sleeper, there is even a kit available for the radio that includes a pillow shaker and strobe light which can wake you in the middle of the night.
Law enforcement and emergency services personnel are tasked with convincing citizens on the importance of evacuations during extreme weather and disasters. No one wants to leave the comfort of their home and many people may want to try and stay put to protect their home and belongings. However, emergency management personnel do not issue evacuation orders unless their experience and training lead them to believe that citizens’ lives are in danger. If you receive an order to evacuate, DO SO! Remember the tragic case of citizens who tried to ride out the storm when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. They later tried to call for emergency assistance but law enforcement and emergency personnel were unable to respond, and many people lost their lives.
You can find more information about emergency plans and emergency kits at the Federal Emergency Management Agency at Ready.gov, and at the Florida Division of Emergency Management Florida Disaster. Do it today, as severe weather and other disasters can strike at any time.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
June 2016
If you haven’t noticed, it’s hot outside! Now is the time families begin making their way to pools and bodies of water across our county and state in an attempt to cool off. We want everyone to enjoy those moments, but we also want you to be safe.
We cannot say this enough to parents and caregivers: Please take all the safety measures possible to protect children from the dangers that lurk in and around the pool or any body of water. Now is the time to review – and improve if needed – water safety habits. Florida is among the top states in the nation in relation to drowning deaths for children under 5 years old. About 1,000 children drown each year in the United States. Between 2011 and 2013, 200 children under the age of 5 died as a result of accidental drowning in Florida. Of those, two were from Pasco County. In all, 83 Pasco County residents – children and adults – have died from drowning from 2004-2013.
Florida Statute Chapter 515, the Residential Pool Safety Act, requires a number of safety barriers. A portion of that statute reads:
- The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside.
- The barrier may not have any gaps, openings, indentations, protrusions, or structural components that could allow a young child to crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over the barrier.
- The barrier must be placed around the perimeter of the pool and must be separate from any fence, wall, or other enclosure surrounding the yard unless the fence, wall or other enclosure or portion thereof is situated on the perimeter of the pool is being used as part of the barrier and meets the barrier requirements of this section.
- The barrier must be placed sufficiently away from the water’s edge to prevent a young child or medically frail elderly person who may have managed to penetrate the barrier from immediately falling into the water.
Florida Safe Pools is a water safety campaign established by Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition led by All Children’s Hospital. Since most young children gain access to the pool when least expected, Florida Safe Pools promotes the use of multiple “layers of protection,” which include barriers and alarms, to help parents and guardians. For more information, please visit their website at Pool Safety
The 1st layer of protection starts with you:
- Pool safety starts with the caregiver. Persistent supervision will help keep your little ones from accessing the pool area.
- Limit distractions to yourself so you remain a constant vigil on children.
The 2nd layer starts inside the home:
- Door alarms should be on all exterior doors leading to a pool area
- Access to exterior doors should be limited to adults
- Childproof door locks should be in place
- Have a clear view of the pool from inside the house
The 3rd layer starts outside the home:
- The backyard should be fenced
- A safety fence should surround the pool
- Self-closing gates should be included on the pool fence
- Alarms should be placed on gates
- Keep furniture away from the fence, since little ones love to climb!
- Hot tubs should have a locking cover
The 4th layer begins in the pool area:
- Keep toys & floating objects out of the pool, since these can entice children
- Remove trip hazards away from the pool’s edge
- Keep water levels 3-4 inches from the top
- Wave alarms can be placed in the pool
- Pool covers can be used when pool is not in use
For more information on pool and water safety, please visit the following links:
Red Cross
Pool Safely
Kid's Health
CDC
Safe Kids
Red Cross
Pool Safely
Kid's Health
CDC
Safe Kids
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
May 2016
Law enforcement families can sometimes endure an exceptional level of stress. There is an immense level of pride for the valiant work being done daily in our community, but there is also stress and worry. Unfortunately, that stress can be cataclysmic when it comes to the relationships we’ve built with friends, family and especially spouses.
Some of those stressors go beyond the obvious of dealing with dangerous situations or individuals. There are the hectic schedules that include working shifts and sometimes additional hours when the unexpected occurs. Events or family gatherings are missed. Law enforcement members see and experience a lot. Some of those things are often uncommon and can be brought home – emotionally and mentally – if not properly diagnosed and handled.
This all adds up for a certain level of understanding and more importantly, a proper way to manage stress. Since 2012, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office has hosted an academy for spouses and significant others of Pasco Sheriff’s Office members meant to do just that. The 4th Annual Spouses Academy returns May 7 and for the fourth consecutive year, we are inviting the spouses of members in other Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies to attend. The class is free and has been developed to provide the tools of how to cope with having a loved one involved in law enforcement, detention, or a civilian component – all of which are high-stress, demanding and unfortunately sometimes dangerous endeavors.
Due to space constraints, only the first 100 spouses to register will be able to attend the academy, which will be held at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel. Those constraints combined with the large number of members across the Tampa Bay area mean it is imperative to register for this event early. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Doll at 727-844-7759.
For those in need of stress management resources, visit the links below:
- www.responderlife.org
- Badgeofhopeministries.com
- www.kristineace.com
- www.shieldedhearts.org
- www.how2loveyourcop.com
- psucrisismanagement.com
- www.badgeoflife.org
- www.wivesbehindthebadge.org/
- www.facebook.com/Thepolicewifelife
- www.policewivesofamerica.org
- www.copswives.com
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
April 2016
Parents and guardians should be aware of the three leading causes of preventable child deaths. Last year, the Department of Children and Families joined with community partners to launch “Warning Signs,” a three-year public awareness campaign to educate and encourage the community to take action to save our children from the leading preventable causes of child deaths.
The top causes include:
- Suffocation – More infants die in adult beds than anywhere else. Kids belong in kid beds. Infants sleeping in adult beds account for nearly 74 percent of deaths in babies under 4 months. To prevent infant deaths from suffocation, parents should put the baby’s crib next to the parents’ bed for the first 6 months of life. Keep the crib safe with tight-fitting sheets and a firm mattress. In addition, keep the crib free of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. Place the infant on its back when putting him or her down to sleep.
- Drowning – Drowning kills more kids ages 1-4 than any other cause. Small kids can drown as fast as 20 seconds in such diverse objects as a bucket, bathtub, toilet, and a pool.
Formal swimming lessons for kids age 4 and under cut drowning risk by 88 percent. Two-thirds of small kids who drowned in a pool were last seen in the house. Eliminate distractions for those watching kids near water – no texting, phone calls, reading, or video games. Learn CPR – it saves lives.
- Inflicted head trauma – Shaking infants – even once – can kill or injure them for life. Half of kids who suffer severe head trauma before age 5 die before their 21st Crying is most often the reason people shake, squeeze or throw small babies. Parents themselves most often cause the injury or death, but other people not prepared or equipped to handle a crying baby are also the cause.
Crying is normal. It’s how babies communicate.
Check a crying baby for hunger, a dirty diaper, their temperature, and other causes that can make them uncomfortable.
Offer people who watch infants a support system to relieve their stress.
For more information about how to keep our smallest loved ones safe, visit the website: www.PreventNeedlessDeaths.com.
For more information about how to keep our smallest loved ones safe, visit the website: www.PreventNeedlessDeaths.com.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
March 2016
It sounds strange and even complicated, but there are a small number of people in our community who would rather steal electricity than pay for it like the rest of us. Would you know how to detect if someone was doing that in your neighborhood? So how does someone ‘steal’ electricity? Thieves divert energy from power lines or even from neighboring homes to run the power into their own home. That process, if successful, gives them power for free. Not only is this illegal, but it can also be deadly.
According to the safeelectricity.org, this method of power theft will sometimes feed energy back into a power line, which can harm or even kill a linesman. Before a linesman begins work on power lines, he will de-energize the lines. But if that line is tapped into a home illegally diverting the power, the remaining energy could kill the linesman. Additionally, if your residence is connected to the same power line as one responsible for stealing power, your home could be overloaded with energy. That can harm the appliances and electronics connected to your home’s outlets. The theft of energy can also harm your pocketbooks, as companies may have to raise rates.
Often, this theft is the hallmark of illegal drug use and sales. There have been arrests in our county as well as surrounding counties that have led to drug charges. Thieves who have been stealing energy have also set up elaborate marijuana grow operations inside those homes. This illegal tactic gives criminals the ability to harvest several dozen marijuana plants, which can net thousands of dollars in drug sales.
Detecting energy theft is not easy, but a few keys, provided by Duke Energy, may help detect a thief. Those tips include if a person is not a member of your local power company and you see them working on overhead wires, power meters or digging near underground lines, this could be suspicious. If you overhear someone talking about bypassing meters or having impossibly low bills, this may also be a sign of energy theft.
In the September issue of Electric Co-Op Today, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative reported more than 180 marijuana grow houses were discovered illegally diverting energy in its service area since 2006. The company estimated it lost more than $3 million due to those stealing energy. As a result of this activity, WREC has started a program that rewards citizens $500 for the arrest and conviction of a person guilty of power theft. Those figures become staggering when compiled nationwide. According to GridSense, a power monitoring company, approximately $6 billion in energy is stolen annually in the United States.
Those who are convicted of power theft can be prosecuted under Florida Statute 812.14, which can garner up to a year in prison and as much as $1,000 in fines. If you suspect someone in your neighborhood has been stealing energy, please contact your power company or the Pasco Sheriff’s Office at 727-847-8102.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
Feburary 2016
Travel anywhere in our great country, state, and county and you’re bound to see it: Panhandling.
People will stand in medians or along sidewalks, holding signs asking for money. It is not our intention to be cruel when it comes to people truly in need, but there are dangers that arise from panhandling. There are also much better and safer ways to contribute. In addition to those who honestly need assistance, there are some who are up to no good. Some may use panhandling as a means for earning an income, while others are supporting drug and/or alcohol habits.
No matter the reason, there are dangers to panhandling. But before going into the perils, here are some things that can help those truly in need. Across the state and throughout our community are agencies meant to help people in need. From shelters to food banks to substance abuse facilities, they are all there to help. These organizations can be the stepping stone on which people propel themselves into a much better health and living situation. The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County lists well over a dozen places that can help citizens who need shelter or help fighting an addiction. You can visit the following link to see that list: Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County.
Here’s that dark side no one thinks about. There have been aggressive panhandlers who have threatened citizens with physical harm or even have stolen items from those attempting to give.
In December, a good Samaritan was attempting to give a man who was panhandling $5. The man then reached into the woman’s car, stealing $70 and her debit card. When confronted by the woman’s son, the panhandler began choking him. As a result, we posted electronic signs alerting motorists: “For your safety, give to charity groups not panhandlers.” The suspect was arrested a short time later at a nearby homeless camp with signs of drug use littered about. If you overhear someone talking about bypassing meters or having impossibly low bills, this may also be a sign of energy theft.
Here’s that dark side no one thinks about. There have been aggressive panhandlers who have threatened citizens with physical harm or even have stolen items from those attempting to give.
In December, a good Samaritan was attempting to give a man who was panhandling $5. The man then reached into the woman’s car, stealing $70 and her debit card. When confronted by the woman’s son, the panhandler began choking him. As a result, we posted electronic signs alerting motorists: “For your safety, give to charity groups not panhandlers.” The suspect was arrested a short time later at a nearby homeless camp with signs of drug use littered about.
Additionally, panhandlers can cause distractions for motorists. Accidents have happened due to those distractions. A study by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office identified a number of intersections with the highest amount of panhandlers. After enforcement efforts, which dramatically decreased the number of panhandlers, there was a more than 10 percent drop in traffic crashes at those intersections. Those crashes aren’t limited to car against car. Pedestrian and bicyclists have also found themselves involved in collisions with vehicles that outweigh them by several thousand pounds.
Panhandling brings with other problems such as littering. There are also issues with public spaces, like bus stops, not being accessible to those who need them because panhandlers are loitering at those locations.
We care for everyone in our community and we hold high the spirit of giving. But know where to give, so your generosity can help a person for a lifetime – not a quick fix.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
January 2016
Last month, we discussed a number of crime trends that are prevalent throughout Pasco County and the Tampa Bay Area. Those crimes included a number of scams, thieves breaking into unlocked cars, and a crime technique dubbed ‘Felony Lane.’ This month we’ll focus on the burglary of business vehicles, how to design an area to prevent crime and camera registration. Criminals are very creative in their attempts to separate you from your money or possessions and we aim to thwart them at every turn. Hopefully these tips will empower you to detect and deter any criminal element you encounter.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design or CPTED – It’s incredible to think a way to deter crime is in the design of a neighborhood or the way in which you decorate your home. This method of crime prevention changes your physical environment in an attempt to prevent crime. For instance, keeping the exterior of your home well-lit at night is one way to keep burglars or prowlers away. They don’t want to be seen and lighting your exterior keeps every nook lit. If you have windows that are on the ground floor or if you’re in a single-level home, plant low, thorny bushes near those windows to keep burglars from accessing your home through those windows. Don’t allow shrubs to become overgrown and block your line of sight. This takes away another element of concealment for criminals.
If you fence in your front yard or backyard, use a fencing system that is waist-level and picket-style. That will keep intruders from being concealed while on your property. Also, place security signs up on the exterior of your home or business. There are a wide array of tactics one can employ from the CPTED philosophy, and these are just a few items related to this strategy.
Another key element in CPTED is surveillance. Neighborhood watch groups are one means of keeping an eye on a community. Get to know your neighbors on each side of your home, behind your home and across the street. If you see suspicious activity, report it. For communities, designing streets that are pedestrian friendly increases the number of eyes on a home or neighborhood in general. Chances are if a pedestrian witnesses something out of the ordinary happening at a home, that activity will be reported.
Camera Registration Program (Crime Reports) – This allows citizens, businesses and law enforcement to form a partnership in keeping a community safe. Footage from a surveillance system can be provided to law enforcement if a crime has been committed nearby. Camera owners can go to crimereports.com and register their surveillance camera(s), which will add you to a list only available to law enforcement. This is a free service and camera owners can remove their name from the list at any time. If a crime is committed in your area, investigators can contact you to see if the crime was captured by your camera. This may allow a crime to be solved much quicker.
Business vehicle burglaries – It’s no secret work trucks contain plenty of equipment or gear crooks would love to get their hands on. If you must park your work truck at home, ensure that it is locked up and has an alarm. If you can, place the truck inside your garage. Many times those trucks are left in parking areas at the end of the workday. Make sure that area is well-lit and is properly secured from outside intruders. Also, strategically place surveillance cameras in the area so they can capture any suspicious activity.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
September 2015
Posted on August 11, 2015 by Admin Last year the Pasco Sheriff’s Office entered the arena of the 5K mud run by hosting an event at our jail in December. I’m happy to say our obstacle race is back this year and better than ever. The Great Escape 5K Obstacle Mud Run will take place Saturday, October 3 on the course we designed at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, 20101 Central Boulevard, Land O’ Lakes.
Participants will be able to run in the woods surrounding the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center while trudging through mud and water and traversing various obstacles. The event is a fundraiser for the Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, Inc. Pasco Sheriff’s Charities donates money to our K-9 Association, Pasco Police Athletic League, Explorer Unit, and more.
The first race of the Great Escape starts at 8 a.m. with additional waves starting in 15 minute increments. Runners will receive a T-shirt and a medal for participating. Many of these obstacles will involve water and mud so be prepared to get dirty! Photographers will be posted throughout the course to catch the action.
Some of the obstacles planned for the course include:
- Log carry
- Mud crawl
- Great Wall of Pasco
- Smoke house
- Rope climb & swing
- Pond swim
- Cargo net climb
- Balance beam
- Mud slide
- Arctic Plunge
The fun is not limited to the woods and mud. There will be K-9 demonstrations throughout the morning and kids who are 13 or under can participate in their own obstacle run, dubbed the Delinquent Dash. Additionally, there will be slides, jump houses, music, non-alcoholic beverages, food and free giveaways. Those who want to join the fun, but not participate in the mud run can get in for $5. Kids under 5 are free.
The obstacle run fee for an individual escapee is $50 ($75 after Sept. 18) and the fee for a five-person team is $225 ($300 after Sept. 18). You must be at least 14 years of age to participate in the race. The registration fee includes the post-race food.
To register and review the course, please visit our Pasco Sheriff’s Charities website at PascoSheriffCharities.com. There is a link to the Active.com website to enter your individual or team registration. Parking is free at the event.
Our goal is to make this event grow each year. We look forward to seeing you there!
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
August 2015
What is the cost of a human life? We understand commerce and can reasonably place a value on many products.
Whether it is shopping for a new television, buying a gallon of milk, or looking for the latest cell phone,
we understand the relationship between the cost of an item and the value it brings to us.
Sadly, one of the fastest growing crimes globally is the commerce of our own children because people are deceiving
the impressionable and using these victims for their own benefit.
This atrocity takes place right here in our own country and more impactful, right in our own communities.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims. In the United States the average teen enters the sex trade between 12 to 14 years of age. Shared Hope International estimates that at least 100,000 children are being used as prostitutes in America and as one of the fastest and most profitable growing crimes with an annual value around $32 billion globally; this problem will only get worse. Organized crime groups, including gangs, recognize the immense profitability in sex trafficking. In the selling of guns, cars, drugs or other products you only make a one-time commission off of a sale. When selling humans for sex, you can sadly continue to exploit the same person over and over again, in just one day, for continued profit. It is a horrible thought but a sad reality.
Please do not stereotype the victims or the perpetrators who hold these girls in sexual bondage. They can be the same people that live on your street. In a recent case, a high school cheerleader left school early and was prostituting for a man who then had this girl recruit other females from her former high school. The underage girl who they took across state lines for prostitution was eventually rescued. Those looking to exploit our children will target them through websites, youth programs, malls, and other areas where children congregate. The person you least likely expect to exploit our children is the person most likely to do it. As with the high school cheerleader, it is much easier and convincing for a peer to deceive our youth into this captivity. Through drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, or a sense of belonging, our own children are falling prey to these predators and are losing their innocence.
Law Enforcement alone cannot succeed conquering this epidemic. We need everyone to be aware and to look for the signs of human trafficking and then report it. From teachers, to those who work in the service and health industry, everyone can make a difference because every life matters. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has recently partnered with the Pasco School District to train their members. These partnerships are critical to success. To learn more, I encourage you to go to the Pasco Sheriff’s website at PascoSheriff.com. You can make a difference.
As to our initial question as to what is the cost of a human life? For those who put a price tag on life and sell our children as a commodity, we will hunt you down, for your lack of compassion will not be tolerated. For someone who reads this and is caught in the living hell of being used and exploited by a demon, please have the courage to call for help, we will be there for you, because your life is priceless.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimates that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims. In the United States the average teen enters the sex trade between 12 to 14 years of age. Shared Hope International estimates that at least 100,000 children are being used as prostitutes in America and as one of the fastest and most profitable growing crimes with an annual value around $32 billion globally; this problem will only get worse. Organized crime groups, including gangs, recognize the immense profitability in sex trafficking. In the selling of guns, cars, drugs or other products you only make a one-time commission off of a sale. When selling humans for sex, you can sadly continue to exploit the same person over and over again, in just one day, for continued profit. It is a horrible thought but a sad reality.
Please do not stereotype the victims or the perpetrators who hold these girls in sexual bondage. They can be the same people that live on your street. In a recent case, a high school cheerleader left school early and was prostituting for a man who then had this girl recruit other females from her former high school. The underage girl who they took across state lines for prostitution was eventually rescued. Those looking to exploit our children will target them through websites, youth programs, malls, and other areas where children congregate. The person you least likely expect to exploit our children is the person most likely to do it. As with the high school cheerleader, it is much easier and convincing for a peer to deceive our youth into this captivity. Through drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, or a sense of belonging, our own children are falling prey to these predators and are losing their innocence.
Law Enforcement alone cannot succeed conquering this epidemic. We need everyone to be aware and to look for the signs of human trafficking and then report it. From teachers, to those who work in the service and health industry, everyone can make a difference because every life matters. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has recently partnered with the Pasco School District to train their members. These partnerships are critical to success. To learn more, I encourage you to go to the Pasco Sheriff’s website at PascoSheriff.com. You can make a difference.
As to our initial question as to what is the cost of a human life? For those who put a price tag on life and sell our children as a commodity, we will hunt you down, for your lack of compassion will not be tolerated. For someone who reads this and is caught in the living hell of being used and exploited by a demon, please have the courage to call for help, we will be there for you, because your life is priceless.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
July 2015
I recently provided the annual Pasco Sheriff’s Office budget request to the Board of County Commissioners, for our next fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2015 and ends on September 30, 2016.
Like other areas in our state, Pasco County has witnessed an increase in economic growth and we’ve started to rise up from the burden of the economic downturn. There is growth from one side of the county to the other. New home developments are underway, a major outlet mall is being built and construction on the largest hockey facility in the state is currently being planned for our county. Those are all great signs and we celebrate them.
We also must work to ensure the safety of those who currently live here as well as the many who will either move to or visit our county in the coming months. Whether they are residents moving into the new homes or shoppers enjoying our stores, we want everyone to feel safe and to be protected by our deputies.
Our budget increase reflects the need to pay our deputies a more competitive salary. Why is this important? In the last three years, we have lost more than 100 experienced and highly capable deputies to other Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies. These other agencies – even those that serve a smaller population than Pasco County – are providing a higher salary to their law enforcement officers. Remember, even with our noble profession, we still must provide for our families. I don’t begrudge those deputies who leave our agency on their quest to better support their families. That is simply a fact of life.
An outside company conducted a study on the Pasco Sheriff’s Office which underscores what we have been seeing by our deputies leaving these last few years: Our members are compensated considerably lower in salary and benefits than agencies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties as well as those in the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg.
We have a plan to bring our members to a more stable financial footing over the next three years. This includes applying $5.4 million of our 2016 budget request to increase the salary and benefits of our hard-working deputies.
Also included in the proposed budget is the cost for our body worn cameras, with which all of our road patrol deputies have been outfitted. The cameras come with an annual cost of $475,000. That cost includes maintenance and storage expenses for the multiple terabytes the videos take up on secure servers. There is also $1 million earmarked to replace the video cameras inside and around the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. We are also in the second year of a two-year project for once-per-decade aircraft maintenance and that cost is $254,000.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has always been an agency that has done a lot with limited resources. When you compare our budget to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and with the City of Tampa, you will see we are extremely fiscally responsible and effective. We accept that challenge and have done a fine job, but we want to better serve our citizens. In doing so, we must give our agency a fighting chance in recruiting and maintaining a quality work force. We believe this budget request will help in fulfilling those efforts.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
May 2016
May has a number of designations, but the one I want to focus on is National Mental Health Awareness. There have been a number of tragic incidences throughout our county, region, state and country. Many of those events make us wonder why they happened and more importantly, how they could have been prevented. Mental health awareness plays a major part in a lot of what goes awry nowadays.
We have to be diligent as partners, parents, friends or whatever role we play in another’s life and pick up on the things that could lead to major crises in their lives.
According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 4 adults, or roughly 61.5 million Americans, experience mental illness in a given year. One in 17, or about 13.6 million people, live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder. Those numbers were the result of a 2013 study.
Furthermore, that same study reveals about 20 percent of youth between the ages of 13 and 18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year. Those between the ages of 8 and 15, the estimate is 13 percent. What those numbers tell us is that any of us can be touched by a mental disorder and identifying, then treating that disorder is paramount.
There are a number of behaviors we can look for in our friends and familiy. Those behaviors range from suicide to anxiety to substance abuse disorders. Here are just a few of the many warning signs we should look for when it comes to the different conditions:
Suicide
- Talk of dying or killing one’s self
- Feeling hopeless or trapped and having no reason to live
- Feeling like a burden to others
Substance Use
- Attendance at work, school, or other functions drop
- Constant fights, illegeal activity or other troubles
- Change in eating and sleeping habits
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Slurred speech, tremors, unusual smells, and/or bloodshot eyes
Psychotic Disorders
- Hallucinating
- Delusions
Behavioral Disorders
- Inability to pay attention
- Hyperactivity
- Defiant and involved in criminal activity
Again, these are only a few of the symptoms for each of the categories above.
To learn more, please visit Mental Health.
Also, The National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI, is another valuable resource.
Anyone in need help should call 1-800-662-HELP.
Assistance can also be gained by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
As always, thank you for your time and stay safe!
As always, thank you for your time and stay safe!
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
April 2015
Clocks have been moved ahead, which means longer daylight hours and the weather is gearing up to provide the higher temperatures known
to draw people from all over the world to our great state.
Spring is near and it’s a clear signal that pool season has arrived.
Parents and caregivers, it is imperative you take all the safety measures possible to protect children from the dangers that lurk in and around the pool or any body of water for that matter. It’s time to get an early jump on reviewing – and improving, if needed – water safety habits. Florida is among the top states in the nation in relation to drowning deaths for children under 5 years old. About 1,000 children drown each year in the United States. Between 2011 and 2013, 200 children under the age of 5 died as a result of accidental drowning in Florida. Of those, two were from Pasco County. In all, 83 Pasco County residents – children and adults – have died from drowning from 2004-2013.
Florida Statute Chapter 515, the Residential Pool Safety Act, requires only one of four specified safety barriers for all swimming pools built after 2002. As a result, many backyard pools are readily – and dangerously – accessible to young children.
Florida Safe Pools is a water safety campaign established by Florida Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition led by All Children’s Hospital. Since most young children gain access to the pool when least expected, Florida Safe Pools promotes the use of multiple “layers of protection,” which include barriers and alarms, to help parents and guardians. For more information, please visit their website at www.custompoolsandspasorlando.com/
The 1st layer of protection starts with you:
The 2nd layer starts inside the home:
The 3rd layer starts outside the home:
The 4th layer begins in the pool area:
- Pool safety starts with the caregiver. Persistent supervision will help keep your little ones from accessing the pool area.
- Limit distractions to yourself so you remain a constant vigil on children.
The 2nd layer starts inside the home:
- Door alarms should be on all exterior doors leading to a pool area
- Access to exterior doors should be limited to adults
- Childproof door locks should be in place
- Have a clear view of the pool from inside the house
The 3rd layer starts outside the home:
- The backyard should be fenced
- A safety fence should surround the pool
- Self-closing gates should be included on the pool fence
- Alarms should be placed on gates
- Keep furniture away from the fence, since little ones love to climb!
- Hot tubs should have a locking cover
The 4th layer begins in the pool area:
- Keep toys & floating objects out of the pool, since these can entice children
- Remove trip hazards away from the pool’s edge
- Keep water levels 3-4 inches from the top
- Wave alarms can be placed in the pool
- Pool covers can be used when pool is not in use
For more information on pool and water safety, please visit the following links:
Red Cross
Pool Safely
Kid's Health
CDC
Safe Kids
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PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
March 2015
Scams come in all forms and fashions and the focus is almost exclusively on one thing: parting you from your money.
We have to be diligent when it comes to crooks and their scams. Hopefully these tips will help you avoid the headache of losing money and repairing your credit.
With April 15 quickly approaching, thieves are on the lookout for your tax dollars. Some in Pasco have received phone calls from those claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Those callers threaten to take legal action if funds are not paid immediately. This is absolutely a scam. If you have experienced this, please visit www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing to get help.
There is also the persistent problem of skimming. This is when a device is placed either on or inside an ATM machine or even fuel pumps. That electronic device will then record your bank card information, allowing the crook to duplicate your card and use it at their leisure. Sometimes small cameras are placed near a keypad in an attempt to record your PIN. There are a few simple things you can do in an attempt to avoid being a victim of a skimmer. First, thorough inspect an ATM’s credit card reader. If it appears to be loose or it’s damaged or appears to be altered, don’t use it. When you do use an ATM, cover your hand to shield your PIN from being secretly recorded. Even better, If you must get cash back, go inside of a grocery store. You may have to make a small purchase, but it almost guarantees no one else has access to your card information. If you want to pay for gas, go inside and pay the cashier instead of paying at the pump. For more information on skimmers, visit the FBI’s link on the matter: www.fbi.gov/news/stories/atm-skimming.
Scammers have also attempted to use gift cards to get money. In one use, the crook calls a number and tells the person they are holding a family member hostage. He tells the person on the other line if they want to insure their family member returns home safely, money must be placed on a gift card and the PIN must given to the caller. In a different version of that scam, a caller claims to be from a lottery company and in order to collect you alleged winnings, the potential victim must purchase a gift card and place a certain amount of money on that card. The citizen must then give the caller the PIN number. Please, don’t fall for those scams. In the hostage hoax, family members have been found to be safe and no contact was ever made with them.
There are a number of other scams that can be highlighted, but a great source is the Federal Trade Commission, which has dedicated a portion of their site (Federal Trade Commission) to scams of all stripes. Please take time and visit the site, it could save you headache, heartache and the loss of your hard-earned money.
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
Febuary 2015
Giving back is always in the forefront of the minds of Pasco Sheriff’s Office members. Each year our deputies and civilians partake in activities around the county meant to help as many people here as possible.
On Feb. 20, we’ll host our Shotgun Shootout at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays & Archery, 10514 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes. The event, which starts at 9 a.m. with an 8 a.m. registration, will benefit the Pasco Sheriff’s Office K-9 Association, which brings awareness and support to the unit, and Explorers Post #916. Our Explorers Program allows young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to explore a career in law enforcement by receiving training in all aspects of the profession.
Sporting clays, one of the fastest growing sports in the country, consists of using a shotgun to fire at clay targets from a number of shooting stations located on a rural course. The clay targets are catapulted into the air by hidden machines throughout the course. The flight of the clay target is unpredictable, testing the shooter’s marksmanship. Shotguns will be available for rent and vision and hearing protection is required, which will be made available.
Only 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge shotguns in safe working order will be permitted.
Registration is $150 for individual shooters, which includes ammunition, 2015 Shootout hat, and luncheon; or $600 for a group of four, which includes ammunition, cart, 2015 Shootout hat, gift bag, and luncheon.
There are a number of ways to participate in the shootout as a sponsor also:
- $3,000-Sheriff's Club One 4-shooter team; ammo; cart; premiere gift bag; “special” sponsor’s prize drawing; recognition at luncheon; station recognition, shootout hat.
- $1,000 – Platinum One 4-shooter team; ammo; cart; gift bag; sponsor’s prize drawing; recognition at luncheon; station recognition, shootout hat.
- $100 – Shooting Station A sponsorship sign with your name will be placed at one of the shooting stations.
For information on how to register, visit pascosheriffcharities.com and click on the “shootout” tab. You can also call Lt. Warren Jones at (813) 235-6031 or Julie Frazier at (813) 235-6003.
Pasco Sheriff’s Charities has raised more than $300,000, which has gone to The Angelus, Explorers Post 916, Pasco Boys and Girls Clubs, PACE Center for Girls, San Soldiers of America, Pasco Police Athletic League and YMCA.
We look forward to seeing you!
PASCO SHERIFF’S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
January 2015
As you begin to think about and prepare for work being performed in and around your home, it is important to hire a contractor who is properly licensed and insured. Hiring an unlicensed contractor can lead to myriad problems, which include poor quality of work, becoming the victim of a scam or even introducing a violent criminal into your home. Furthermore, if an unlicensed contractor is does not have workers’ compensation insurance and either he or his employees is injured working on your home, you can be responsible for paying that person’s medical bills.
Here is a list of tips compiled by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office to help protect you.
The use of an unlicensed contractor may yield the following problems:
- Poor qualifications. Unlicensed individuals have not demonstrated the education, insurance, or qualification required of a licensed contractor. This can leave you with poor quality work or unfinished projects, which means you could spend more money hiring another contractor to repair or finish the project.
- Possible criminal background. Unlicensed individuals often have criminal backgrounds, to include: fraud, theft, violent crimes, sexual offenses, and substance abuse.
- Likelihood of being the victim of a scam. Unlicensed individuals often disappear after taking your money, leaving you with very few options to help you get your money back or your work completed.
- No coverage under homeowner’s policy. Most homeowner policies require that work must be done by a licensed contractor and provide no coverage for work that is not.
- Noncompliance with building codes. Most projects, even small ones, require permits and inspections that unlicensed contractors ignore or are unfamiliar with. If your project isn’t permitted or doesn’t comply with the building code, you may have to remove or repair the work at your own expense and be subject to fines.
Protecting Yourself
Licensed You can verify a State of Florida Licensed Contractor at www.MyFloridaLicense.com. Ask your contractor for a license number. Always verify the license number!Tested Licensed professionals have proven abilities through testing and certification.
Trusted: Licensed professionals are required to have proper insurance and liability coverage that protects you! Ask your contractor about it!
You can also call the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to verify a contractor’s license by calling 866-532-1440. If you suspect a contractor is unlicensed, call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office 727-847-5878, or Pasco County Building Department 727-847-8127 or Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
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Security Cameras
K9 Association
Thank you for your interest in the Attorney Express Program at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Please complete the Attorney Express application, and return it to Human Resources at the address indicated above. Human Resources is in the Sheriff’s Administration Building located in the Government Center Complex off Little Road.
IMPORTANT: Processing of your application may be delayed if the following information is not included when your application is submitted to us.
Be sure to include with your application:
- A copy of your social security card
- A copy of your current Florida driver’s license
- A copy of your Florida Bar Card
- Payment; check or money order only
- A completed statement of purpose for collection of social security number
Again, thank you for your interest in the Attorney Express Access at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Trespass Agreements
Trespass Agreements
Information and tips regarding completing and submitting Trespass Agreements with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office
Do send the information on official letterhead and have same notarized. Click here to download the Trespass Agreement Notice.
Please read over everything as there are instructions on sending support documents. Some are:
- Please list complete address(es) for your vacant building(s).
- Please list any gate or alarm code(s).
- Please supply a boundary map
- Please supply a copy of the owner’s / board member’s driver’s license.
- Please provide the titles, names and telephone numbers for two (2) contacts in case of an emergency.
- Sign and notarize the Trespass Agreement Notice request.
Please mail the original notarized Trespass Agreement Notice, along with a copy of your driver’s license to:
Pasco Sheriff’s Office
8700 Citizen Drive
NPR, FL 34654
If you know what District you live in, please add “ATTN: District #” to the address above. If you don’t know what District you live in, we will determine where to send the letter based on your address.
(NOTE: Your Trespass Agreement will expire one ( 1 ) year to date of receiving the letter. If you continue to need our service, please complete another notarized Trespass Agreement Notice and mail to the address above.)
Sheriff Citizen Academy
The Pasco Sheriff’s Citizen Academy is an exciting 3-week program that provides participants with an up-close and detailed look at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and modern law enforcement. As a member, you will learn about the latest trends and procedures in law enforcement, as well as the duties and responsibilities of the various departments. You will also have the opportunity to participate in tours of various Sheriff’s Office buildings and ride in an agency vehicle with a road patrol deputy. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Citizen Academy meets two times a week for three hours. The program is 3 weeks long and there is no cost to participate, but seating is limited. For more information about the next academy class or for an application form, please contact Cpl. Alan Wilkett at 1-800-854-2862, extension 3376.
Program Highlights
Participants at the Citizen Police Academy will learn various aspects of law enforcement and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office including:
- History and Role of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office
- Understanding Marine Unit and Agricultural Unit
- K-9 Unit demonstration
- Tour of the Sheriff’s Office facilities including Land O’ Lakes Detention Center
- Overview of Crisis Management and the SWAT Team
- Overview of the Victim Advocates, Child Protective Investigations and Forensics
- Detention Bureau overview and Property Crimes
- Vice and Narcotics overview
- Sheriff’s Aggressive Driver Offender Watch Program (SHADOW car)
Upon completion of the Citizen Police Academy, participants receive a certificate of graduation and will be eligible to join the Sheriff’s Volunteer Corps.
By clicking submit you certify that the information supplied in this application is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. You grant the Pasco Sheriff's Office permission to verify all information provided in this application and you are aware that a criminal history will be run by the Pasco Sheriff's Office. You understand any false statement or misrepresentation of facts will be grounds for dismissal from the Citizen Police Academy of the Pasco Sheriff's Office.
Cognitive Needs Registration
Special Cognitive Needs Registration
If you would like to let us know of someone in your family who has special cognitive needs (for example: dementia, autism) please fill out the below form. This will help us better handle our response to any emergency situations that may occur in your area or during a SafetyNet search.
Vacation House Registration
Business Crime Prevention
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Business Crime Prevention Program allows the Sheriff’s Office to connect with the business community
and work together to improve economic development and public safety in Pasco County.
The Sheriff’s Office will provide Monthly Tips and/or Crime Trends to interested businesses via an e-mail newsletter.
The tips will educate and/or remind the businesses of things to do or continue to do that will aid in removing the ‘opportunity’ the criminal
is looking for to commit a crime.
As the Pasco Sheriff’s Office collects data on crimes and suspicious activity within Pasco County, if we note a trend where awareness would benefit the businesses, we will send out that information. Our goal is to help businesses reduce their chances of becoming targets of crime.
A Window Decal will be provided to interested businesses to warn potential offenders that your business will not tolerate criminal activity and has partnered up with Pasco Sheriff’s Office to establish a safer business community.
As the Pasco Sheriff’s Office collects data on crimes and suspicious activity within Pasco County, if we note a trend where awareness would benefit the businesses, we will send out that information. Our goal is to help businesses reduce their chances of becoming targets of crime.
A Window Decal will be provided to interested businesses to warn potential offenders that your business will not tolerate criminal activity and has partnered up with Pasco Sheriff’s Office to establish a safer business community.
If you are interested in joining the program, please fill out this form.
If you have any questions contact Corporal B. Banner 813-924-2535 , by e-mail at BusinessCrimePreventionContact@pascosheriff.org or on
.
Traffic Complaint
Fields marked with a * are required
Day(s) of Week Problem Occurs:
Time of Day:
Location Of Complaint:
Type of Problem:
Purchasing Vendor Contact
Chamanda Burris
Purchasing Manager
Pasco Sheriff Office
19415 Central Blvd,
Land O’Lakes, FL 34637
Office: 813.235.6011
Office: 813.235.6016
Email: purchasing@pascosheriff.org
RFQs/RFPs
RFQ
Documentation
- Technical Specs and Scope of Work- Attachment A
- K9 Indoor Training Final Set- Attachment B
- K9 Indoor Open Final Set- ATTACHMENT C
- K9 Kennel Final Set- ATTACHMENT D.
- K-9 indoor Training Civil Plans- ATTACHMENT E
- 6FY20 Recommendation of Award Memo
- R6FY20 Scoring Sheets
- RFQ 6FY20 Bid Award Letter
Questions
Documentation
- 2FY20 Building Technical Specs
- 2FY20 K9 Indoor Open
- 2FY20 K9 Indoor Training
- 2FY20 K9 Kennel
- FY20 PCSO K9 indoor Training Civil Plans
- RFQ 2FY20 Pre-Bid Conference Q & A
- RFQ 2FY20 Fillable Bid Form as discussed during Pre-Bid Conference
- RFQ 2FY20 Bid Opening and Scoring Forms
- 2FY20 Recommendation of Award Memo
- RFQ 2FY20 Bid Award Letter
Amendment
- First Amendment to RFQ 2FY20 K9 Training Center
- Second Amendment RFQ 2FY20 Building Specification Question Summary
- Third Amendment RFQ 2FY20 Update and Clarification to the Bid Form
Questions
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 1
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 2
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 3
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 4
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 5
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 6
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 7
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 8
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 9
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 10
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 11
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 12
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 13
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 14
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 15
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 16
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 17
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 18
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 19
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 20
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 21
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 22
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 23
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 24
- RFQ 2FY20 Vendor Question 25
Documentation
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 1
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 2
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 3
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 4
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 5
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 6
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 7
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 8
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 9
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 10
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 11
- RFQ K9 1FY19 Vendor Question 12
- RFQ 1FY20 11-14-19 Mandatory Contractor Meeting Sign In Sheet
- K9 Training Center RFQ - Updated Form and Spec
- RFQ 1FY20 Admendment 2
- RFQ 1FY20 Admendment 3
- K9 Training Center RFQ 1FY20 Completed Bid Opening Form
RFQ
Public Notice Meetings
RFQ
Public Notice Meetings
Documentation
- CCS – Health Service Agreement
- CCS Amendment Two 2017-1
- Medical Stats 2016
- Medical Stats 2017
- Medical Stats 2018
- FCAC – 2018
- FMJS – 2018
- Vendor Question #1
- Vendor Question #2
- Vendor Question #3
- Vendor Question #4
- Vendor Question #5
- Vendor Question #6
- Vendor Question #7
- Bayonet Point Hospital HCA Health Services of Florida
- CCS – Amendment for G.O. Changes
- CJIS Security Policy
- MOU Pasco Health Dept HIV 2017 2020 Includes TB Screening Counseling Education
- MOU Pasco Health Dept HIV 2017-2020 Amendment-1
- Booking by hour of day and day of week
- Copy of Medical Inventor List-1-7-19