Abbreviation SSO Population 379,448 | Formed 1921 | |
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Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* County of Sarasota in the state of Florida, US | ||
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SSO) is the primary law enforcement agency for Sarasota County, Florida. The agency is responsible for law enforcement services in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County (home to over 60 percent of the county's residents), jail facilities and courthouse security for Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit. SSO also operates Public Safety Communications (PSC), the county's primary 911 center.
Contents
- History
- Patrol bureau
- Special Operations bureau
- Investigative bureau
- Specialized units
- Corrections
- 911 Center
- Vehicle fleet
- Lawsuits
- Employee retaliation suits
- References
The current Sheriff is Tom Knight, a former Florida Highway Patrol trooper.
History
The sheriff's office was established in 1921 upon the creation of Sarasota County from the southern portion of Manatee County. Florida Governor Cary A. Hardee appointed Burna Dale "Heinie" Levi as the first Sheriff of Sarasota County that year. On August 22, 1921, Sarasota city marshal L.D. Hodges became the agency's first deputy.
Patrol bureau
Deputies in the patrol bureau provide round-the-clock patrol services and answers calls for service in unincorporated Sarasota County.
Special Operations bureau
The Special Operations division assists the patrol bureau in providing specialized law enforcement services to the county. Divisions within this bureau include:
Investigative bureau
The Investigate Bureau employs detectives along with civilian crime analysts. Divisions within the bureau include:
Specialized units
Deputies may also be assigned to specialized units in addition to their regular duties. These units include:
Corrections
The agency is responsible for staffing and maintaining the Sarasota County Jail.
911 Center
The sheriff's office operates Public Safety Communications (PSC), the county's primary 911 center. In addition to dispatching for the sheriff's office, it provides law enforcement dispatch to the Sarasota and Venice police departments and fire/medical dispatch for the Sarasota County Fire Department, Nokomis Fire Department, Venice Fire Department, North Port Fire Department, and Englewood Fire Department.
Vehicle fleet
The agency currently uses police vehicles manufactured by General Motors' Chevrolet brand. The department's patrol fleet primarily consists of the Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Caprice PPV and Chevrolet Tahoe.
Lawsuits
The sheriff's office has been the subject of numerous lawsuits from both civilians and employees. A civil rights lawsuit by the family of Rodney Mitchell, a man shot by SSO deputies, alleges that Sheriff Knight's law enforcement policies are unconstitutional.
Employee retaliation suits
Sergeant Chris Iorio sued the sheriff's office in 2013, claiming that Sheriff Knight retaliated against him for reporting Captain Ron Locke to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after hearing reports that Locke may have molested an underage girl during the mid-1990s. No charges were filed against Locke.
Captain Richard Mottola, who supervised Iorio, filed a lawsuit in 2014 alleging that Sheriff Knight retaliated against Mottola for failing to punish Iorio.