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Table of Contents

Sheriff’s Report

Sheriff’s Office gains National Accreditation

The Accreditation Team: Left to right, Olga Brown, Lt. Bruce
Winegarden, Sheriff Rick Roth, Director Michael Scott and
Inspector Lynne McNeill.

 

To accolades and applause, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received approval Saturday on its bid to become nationally accredited.

79 law enforcement agencies from across the nation that have been participating in the accreditation process attended a conference in Jacksonville over the weekend to find out if their accreditation was approved. Sheriff Richard Roth, who personally attended the conference, said the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office passed the process with flying colors and is now proud to proclaim it is truly a professional organization which compares favorably to nationally accredited agencies nationwide.

“There were some agencies that did not pass the process at all, and some which were accredited, but have provisions they must comply with in order to remain accredited. We received our accreditation with no strings attached – they were impressed with our compliance with their standards and had no issues with our agency at all,” he said.

“We are proud to say we are now nationally accredited by CALEA (the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.),” said Sheriff Richard Roth. “Director Mike Scott, Lt. Bruce Winegarden, Inspector Lynne McNeill and assistant Olga Brown worked hard to make sure our agency fulfilled all CALEA requirements. They should be commended for their commitment to bringing our agency into compliance with those requirements,” he said.

A team of assessors from CALEA visited the Keys in December to examine all aspects of the Monroe County Sheriff Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.

Verification by the team that Monroe County Sheriff Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.

The Monroe County Sheriff Office had to comply with 379 standards in order to gain accredited status. The Accreditation Program Manager for Monroe County Sheriff Office is Lt. Bruce T. Winegarden.

Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please visit their web site at http://www.calea.org/index1 or call (800) 368-3757 or (703)352-4225.

Ask the Administration

Question 1: In the beautiful tropics of the Florida Keys why are we clothed in polyester?  It is hot, it continues to shrink with each drying and it gets shiny over time!  The fabric also does not breathe and causes rashes and health problems for many and is extremely flammable.

Cotton lasts longer, is more comfortable, and could be possible even save the department money in the long run.  Could this be a possibility in the future?

Answered by Sheriff Rick Roth (with assistance from Fashion Consultant, Colonel Bill McDonald): We have considered cotton a number of times in the past.   At one time, we even issued cotton shirts.  The problem with cotton is that it wrinkles quickly and looks very unkempt.  It’s an appearance thing.

Bureau of Operations

Sector 7 Report

By Lt. Bill Moran

You've often hear it said "time flies."  You've probably often asked yourself, "Where did the time go?"  Well, I've been saying both recently; while sitting at my desk, looking at my D.R.O.P. retirement papers.  Suddenly, "time has flown," and I have no answer to" Where did the time go?"  So, after due consideration, I have decided to rely on another old adage. "Don't make an important decision until you've slept on it."  If you've never heard that one before, I claim all copy rights as of this article.  What it means to me is, as long as I am sleeping well, I don't have to decide about filling out the papers; or mailing them.  Now that should draw some "damn its" from those aspiring to promotion. 

Speaking of upward mobility, this last month has seen quite a bit of movement in Sector 7.  We bid farewell to Caren Casper, our Property Assistant; who move on to a Call Taker position in the newest, most high-tech, state of the art, and really cool new Communications Center.  We wish Caren the very best of luck in her new roll of dealing directly with people with a complaint.  Lucky woman.  Naturally, Caren's departure  allows us to welcome her replacement, Karin Tkacs.  Karin comes to us, originally, from Sweden; where she retired from teaching after 23 years.  This of course qualifies Karin as a hero; along with school bus drivers, mothers, and anyone else who deals daily with those children type persons.

Also new to the Sector 7 family, though it will be a few pay periods before he can fill a position, is Daniel LaRochell.  Rooky Daniel weighed in at 7 lbs. 10 ounces, on January 30th; and was immediately issued two infant footprint cards and a set of M.C.S.O.  General Orders.  Congratulations to Greg and wife Nielette.  Greg is assigned to Zone 3, Ocean Reef.  This is the second time Greg and Neilette have contributed to continuation of the species.  Only two years ago, their daughter Amanda arrived.  Greg, trust me on this.  It's not the water.

We want to extend a warm welcome to our newest deputy, Jon Andersen, who will report to Sector 7 Field Training on April 1st.  Jon is a "semi-local;" meaning he hails from North of Mile Marker 112.5.  Jon resides in Homestead and boasts an extensive background in Landscape Architecture.  Jon might be a good guy to run your yard plans through; after he finishes Field Training.

Congratulations are definitely in order for Dep. Larry Benedict on completion of 10 years continuous service at Ocean Reef.  Ten years of outstanding performance, in the same unit, same zone; and without a complaint or negative document in file.  That's something to crow about. Of course, some people think as soon as you talk about it, it will change.  Like you never say, " It's really slow today;" while you are on duty................it will change.

A hearty well done to Detective Dillon Corr for his innovative method of turning off a marked unit.  It seems there was this off duty detail at a local church (a really big white building, that belongs to God, and holds lots of people;) was holding its annual carnival.  Like any large event, you have to have traffic control for safety.  By putting a marked unit in the median, with its overhead lights on, you cause the passing traffic to slow down.  The deputy driving the unit can then lock it and proceed to a second traffic control point.  You don't have to be an electrical engineer to know you must also leave the engine running to avoid killing the battery. 

Problem.............An air cooled engine needs air to cool........duh!  If anything interrupts the cooling system, overheating will result.  Guess what?  Deputy Andrew Laird's marked unit failed to cool.  It got hotter, and hotter, and finally began belching smoke \ steam.  Seeing this, Det. Corr rushed to the smoking unit, found it appropriately locked, and radioed for Dep. Leird to respond to his unit. Now,  Murphy's Law states, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible moment."  The radio call to Dep. Leird doesn't make the trip. (More smoke \ steam).  Det. Corr, realizing he was rapidly running out of time before serious damage to the engine occurred, decided to enter the unit without benefit of a key.  Point to the story..............The cost of replacing a window is tons cheaper that replacing an engine.........................Don't ya think.  Good job Dillon.

No Sector 7 article would be complete without a little Records Unit humor.  Now heaven knows our Records folks have a lot of work to do, all the time.  They have more rules about what copies of reports go to what other units or agencies, what info has to be entered into what system, etc.  On top of this, they get to answer phones, on issues completely unrelated to what they were doing, assist walk-in citizens at the front counter;  then get back to what they were doing before the phone \ people interruption.  You can see it's perfectly understandable if a little confusion takes place.  Like trying to run a local warrants check on a guy named Jack Hammer; instead of running a piece of power equipment to see if it's reported stolen.  By the way, there are no outstanding warrants for Mr. Jack Hammer...................nor is he stolen.  (Sorry Chris, but I just had to tell.)

I want to wish the very best of luck to Sgt. Lou Caputo on his selection to attend the Southern Police Institute session at Broward Community College.  I am sure he will enjoy the experience as much as the many supervisors and commanders who preceded him.  It is important Lou remembers the key to adult learning.....................breaks........................lots of breaks. 

I would love to rattle on, but time and space in the Rap Sheet are limited.  So, from Sector 7 to the M.C.S.O., best of luck, stay well and stay safe.

Lower Keys Reports

Big Coppitt incident, Fishing Tournament and Inmate Escape

By Captain Rick Ramsay

Recently we had an aggravated assault in which a man with a machete attacked a Key West Police detective then barricaded himself in his residence on Big Coppitt Key.  These types of situations have the highest potential for injury and/or death, either to officers or to the suspect himself. 

The on scene supervisor was Sgt. Daryl Hull along with Deputies Geni Hernandez and Freddy Rodriquez, who set up an inner perimeter and prepared for the long haul.  The SWAT Team was called in, along with a Sniper and hostage negotiations all of whom had a response time of under thirty minutes.

This mission went very smoothly due to several key elements, which are needed to ensure a safe and proper outcome:  Co-operation, communication, team work and a professional, dedicated group of men and women. 

With an inner and outer perimeter set up Hostage Negotiator Det. Sgt. Bobby Randolph did a wonderful job starting a dialog with the suspect in order to negotiate and attempt to resolve the incident.  The S.W.A.T. team was on scene and preparing to take over the inner perimeter, while our sniper teams were already on post and acting as covering officers, gathering intelligence and prepared to take the shot in the event  they were given a “Green Light”.   The suspect was seen with a weapon  and was heard charging a round into it as he made threats to officers about entering the residence.  Within an hour of the event Sgt. Randolph was able to get the subject to step out of his house just feet away from the open door, where the inner perimeter units directed by Sgt. Hull were able to surprise him and secure him. 

Deputy Hernandez arrested the subject and transported him to the detention center. Members of the Special Investigations Division then drafted a search warrant to enter the residence in order to secure evidence as well as any other weapons to be taken for safe keeping.  Patrol remained on scene to secure the property and ensure the integrity of the crime scene until the search warrant could be signed by a judge and served. 

Hours later the search warrant was obtained and served on the un-cooperative wife, which lead to the recovery of the machete used in the crime as well as a vast  number of firearms both small and large.  This incident came to a positive conclusion due to the outstanding efforts of many members of this agency from different units who were all working toward a common goal. 

I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication and service.

Recently the lower Keys Sector had it's Kid's Fishing Tournament at the Old Wooden Bridge on Big Pine.  This event was put together with the help of many people and organizations.  Deputy Tom Peteck Jr. was the key person who made this event happen and made it a great day for all of the one hundred and thirty kids who attended.  Tom spent a lot of time and effort to ensure the event would come off smoothly and safely for all.  This was a volunteer event – no one was ordered to attend - yet members came on their own because they wanted to do something good for the kids.  Everything was provided including bait, drinks, food, prizes, security and guidance as needed.  The children only needed to bring a fishing pole in order to have a wonderful time.  I saw ten to twelve Sheriff's Office members come out and give their time for this cause, two of which were from middle Keys Sectors.  I want to thank everyone who showed up and helped for their dedication and time – it really made  difference to the kids who attended, and to the successful outcome of the event.

On March 21st the Stock Island Detention Center had a walk away escape, which we worked very hard that day using ground officers, air support, marine support, K-9 units as well as other support members in a combined effort.  We did not locate the escapee that first day, but great work from the P.I.O. unit made everyone in the area aware of the escape, and that lead to a tip the following day.  A store clerk who had heard of the walk off, thought that a patron looked like the suspect, so she called it in. Our deputies started looking in the area and were able to locate a male fitting the clerk’s description. They were able to corner him and prevent him from getting away yet again.

They attempted determine his identity, but he gave false information (surprise), had no  I.D. He’d shaved his beard and was wearing regular clothing.  The units transported him to the main jail for further investigation where he continued to lie and claim that it was not him but officers were soon able to confirm his identity as our escapee and he was booked into the jail on an escape warrant obtained by C.I.U.  The officers involved were Deputies Geni Hernanadez, Frank Gianino, Jimmy Willams and Detective Ben Lowe and my thanks go out to them for their great work.

More from the Lower Keys Sector

By Sgt. J.B. Flatter

Our people here in Sector 1 are a constant source of material for this article, let me tell you.  All I have to do is keep my eyes and ears open, and my co-workers do the rest.

This month, I wanted to congratulate the Deputies and Detectives that worked a recent burglary case on Big Coppitt Key.  Nearly $428,000 in cash taken in the burglary was recovered by the officers within 24 hours of the crime, and has since been returned to the victim.   A big “Well Done” to Deputies Patrick Scribner, Paul Shultz, David Lariz, Sgt. Daryl Hull, Sgt. Joe Passarelli, Detective Henry Hamilton, and Detective Chris Scott.

Speaking of Detective Chris Scott, she apparently found that recovering and handling that much cash  can be a bit unnerving. Shortly after the money was recovered, she was overheard calling Directory Assistance for “the phone number for Five Sixes Cab Company”!   A while later, she waited (and waited) patiently at a table for five at lunchtime for an agreed-upon lunch at Chili’s Restaurant with Det. Sgt. Bobby Randolph and a couple of other Detectives. When she and Det. Sgt. Randolph finally connected via cell phone, it seems she had been waiting at Chico’s Restaurant on Stock Island instead of Chili’s in Key West…….

And before I let Chris off the hook, there was one more incident.   The interior of our station on Cudjoe Key was being repainted by Public Works, and items in the hall had all been moved to one side during the painting.  Chris came out of her office and ran headlong into a wall-mounted cabinet, thankfully without serious injury.  Taking no chances, the EMS personnel were summoned from next door to make sure Chris was all right, and after they had checked her out, Chris went about her business. The next day, she arrived at work wearing a bicycle helmet, and kept it on most of the day “just in case”.   In honor of her ordeal, she was presented with a commendation plaque from Sheriff Roth for “Donating Blood in the Line of Duty”. 

You’re a good sport, Chris.

OK, Chris has suffered enough for one month!  On to my next and favorite “victim”,  Lt. Roger Allen., who probably REALLY wishes I’d been off the day he unsuccessfully attempted to toast a bagel in the station’s toaster oven – on a paper towel.   (Now I see why the County was so insistent that we have a fire station next door).  Anyway, I offered to have a deputy working light duty at the station stand by in the hall with a fire extinguisher in case Lt. Allen wanted to prepare his lunch later.   We are thinking of getting him a roll of aluminum foil for the microwave…..

Congratulations to John and Kim McGee on the birth of their son, John Conary McGee, born  March 1 in Key West (8 pounds, 1 ounce).  Mother and baby are home and doing just fine.  John’s probably a wreck, but  at  least everybody else is OK. 

Well, I’m out of room again.  I said at the beginning of this article that I have plenty of material, and  we all love a good story. 

See you next month !

Report from Sectors 4 and 5

By Lt. Larry Kelley

I would like to begin by sending true feelings of loss and love to Emil La Vache for the passing of his lovely wife Bernice.  I know I speak for all of us in Sectors 4 and 5 in relaying our sympathy and our commitment to help Emil in any way he may need to get through this sad and emotional loss.

Well, it has been a turbulent few weeks just prior to this writing.  The day I got back from Utah with Captain Peryam we were faced with the unsettling situation of an employee arrested and terminated for a felony, as you all know.  I will not burden you with the details, as I’m sure it is as difficult for you as it is for me.  The very next day we had our first car bombing with a very seriously injured woman victimized apparently by her ex-boyfriend.  This tied up U.S. 1 for the entire day and well into the night.  The FBI and ATF were very prompt and displayed true partnership and cooperation in their handling of the incident with our own SID unit directing the action.  I would like to specifically thank Sergeant Bobby Randolph for his prompt, professional and thorough attention to the scene.  He was relentless in his efforts to make not only the scene safe for the officers and firefighters but also in responding to the numerous residual requests for bomb searches that we received by concerned citizens related in some way to the victim or the suspected attacker.  Bobby attended to each and every concern of officers and citizens alike with true concern and I commend him for his courage and his zeal.

In the next week we saw two suicides by firearm and a number of serious crashes netting numerous deaths on our highways.  They were not all in Marathon but were either just outside of our area or, like the one on Card Sound Road, affected us with their tragic outcomes.  The Deputies of the Sheriff’s Office as well as the Firefighters and medical personnel answered the call to action in each event and were outstanding in their response, actions and follow-ups.

I would like to welcome our new Property Custodian in Marathon.  Karin Tkacs comes to us from Sweden and she seems to be taking to the job without any problems.  She will do fine but steps into some big shoes.  We will miss Karen Casper, who as you know, left us for the dark side.  She can be heard on the other side of the phone in your 911 and police service calls to the Communications Division.  We wish her much good luck and success in her new career path.

On March 1^st we welcomed a much-needed partner in our fight against time after serious injuries.  Trauma Star was called into service with a radio call from Lieutenant Mike Pandol to Central Communications-“Lima 6, Central, Trauma Star is in service.”  It was a very emotional moment and we all thank Mike for his many hours of dedicated service towards this historic event.  We all feel safer because of its presence.  It is very comforting knowing that there is a flight crew standing by 24/7 to lift off and be enroute to assist us in our police needs or life trauma needs or police needs as well.  This was shown in our recent call for air support for smugglers that landed on boot key.  A helicopter was over our position in minutes and helped bring the situation to a point where we could stand by for movement and we were then able to take the bad guys into custody without incident-well ALMOST without incident.  One of the numbskulls thought he could actually run “through” Sergeant Dennis Cain-NOT.  The other went swimming and apparently asked our own Olympic diving hopeful, Deputy Lyn Badman, to join him-which she did.  Lyn-we gave you a 9.5, 9.0, 9.5 and a 9.6.  What you lost in form you gained in difficulty of the dive.  I think you have a shot at the gold, girl!

Deputy Jake Brady showed off our ATV at Camp Sawyer this month.  I am told he had a lot of fun and I hope the kids there enjoyed seeing him as much as he seemed to enjoy their interest in his toy.

I’d like to thank Sergeant Susan Greenwood for her numerous hours of water patrol by wave runner and congratulate her on her big win in court on her first contested boating citation.  She was ultra-prepared and that guy didn’t have a chance.  She also set up and will be supervising two different Children’s Safety days-one at K Mart and the other at Office Depot in Marathon.  Thanks for the great job you are doing, Susan.

Sergeant Doug Penley (the real one-not one of his clones being road-tested in Sector 7) and Deputy Lyn Badman nabbed a wanted felon for the Washington County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office.  They went to TrailerRama and investigated a tip that netted an occupant in the trailer.  He was wanted on three attempted murder charges in a multiple shooting.  He was taken into custody without incident thanks to the quick thinking and actions of two of our finest.  Then again, they were far enough away from the water so that Lyn was able to stay dry long enough to make the arrest.

We have been sending a lot of our members to training lately.  Deputy Greg Korzen went to FTO School in Miami and is now one of the few and the proud FTO’s here.  Deputies Joel Slough, Harry Boyden and Jeremy Davy are attending FTO School this week.  Good luck to them in this task-we need all of the good trainers we can get.  Deputies Lyn Badman and Charlene Huff are going to an Aggressive Driving Enforcement Seminar in Orlando and will be bringing back much good enforcement information for our traffic focus in Marathon.  Deputy Jen Lascala was supposed to be going with Charlene but is fighting a serious cold or virus so Lyn was good enough to accept the challenge.  Sergeants Suzanne Morgan and Sam Cassel will be attending a week of training in Analytical Investigative Techniques.  I hope they bring back lots of good information to impart to the troops.  Deputy Lyn Badman will be attending IPTM’s Safety Checkpoint Training next month and I am sure she will continue to excel in setting up and supervising our DUI checkpoints throughout each year.

We are gearing up for the next few months of busy traffic in Marathon with the Seafood Festival, the 7 Mile Bridge Run in April and then two separate Powerboat Races in June.

I have to mention how very proud I am of the energy, efforts and focus of the Deputies in Marathon and 5.  I’m going to blow their horn here for a moment so please bear with me.  We have really put a dent in the DUI and Aggressive driving problems in the Marathon area. 

In January we arrested 10 DUI’s, wrote 430 tickets, 307 Warnings, arrested 12 Felons, 28 Misdemeanors and served 24 Warrants.

In February we arrested 19 DUI’s, wrote 511 tickets, 324 Warnings, arrested 26 Felons, 59 Misdemeanors and served 19 Warrants.

At the time of this writing-only 15 days into March we have arrested 10 DUI’s, written 155 tickets, 110 Warnings, arrested 13 Felons, 15 Misdemeanors and served 13 Warrants.

All of this while being understaffed, sending our officers to training, still answering all calls for service, doing our required and self initiated business and night eyes checks and responding to any and all requests for assistance in our areas of responsibility.  This shows the true professionalism, aggressiveness and endurance of the men and women assigned to these sectors and I am proud to serve with them.

Well that’s all I have for now.  Stay safe and productive out there.

AND REMEMBER……………Law Enforcement is NOT a spectator sport!

Traffic Enforcement Unit

By Sgt. Glen Test

The Traffic Unit, as with the sectors, has been hit hard by manning shortages and injuries.  At this time we are down three people.  Sheila Seago will be making her debut in Traffic this Monday, and we are excited to have her.  She will join the rest of the Traffic Unit for a month of Spring Break foot patrol on Duval Street as her first assignment.  Obviously if everyone is on foot patrol for the month of March, you probably won't be seeing too much of them in the Sectors.

We would like to say goodbye to Steve Mahmood.  Steve is leaving us for the FAA, he will be taking on the responsibilities of an Air Marshal.  Steve has always been a huge asset to the Traffic Unit,  he will be sorely missed.  Hopefully we can replace him with an equally aggressive and competent Deputy, one who is a little less destructive on a motorcycle!

Once we get back to full strength we will be able to pick up where we left off enforcing the target areas with frequent wolf-packs.  I have increased the duration of the target areas to two weeks, so STEP will hopefully be able to hit most of the targets at least once.  Anyone interested in teaming up with traffic during the wolf-packs is more than welcome!

Aviation Unit begins Trauma Star operation

County residents now have the benefit of trauma helicopter service. The Sheriff’s Office Trauma Star helicopter received its state certification this month.

To kick-off the operation, the Sheriff’s Office and Monroe County hosted a special ceremony and “open house” in March at the Marathon Airport. The opening ceremony included remarks by County Mayor Charles “Sonny” McCoy, Commissioners George Neugent and Murray Nelson, Public Safety Director James “Reggie” Paros, and by Sheriff Richard Roth.

 

        
A special ceremony was held to kick-off Trauma Star’s debut as an air ambulance. Sheriff Rick Roth spoke at the ceremony along with Lt. Mike Pandol, the County Mayor, County Commissioners, and others involved in the program

.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office currently has five FAA certified commercial pilots and an FAA certified mechanic. Monroe County Emergency Medical Services has 15 trained and certified flight Medics who each attended an 80 hour course to obtain that certification, in addition to their other prior firefighting and paramedic training.

The helicopter is based in Marathon and will be staffed around the clock to be ready for launch at a moment’s notice. County firefighters and Emergency Medical Services personnel have, over the past two months, undergone extensive training to ensure they are ready to assist the helicopter when it needs to land at or near an accident scene.

Trauma Star is a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. It was originally built in 1968 and served as a military aircraft until it was retired from that service in 1996. It was purchased by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in February of 2000 from Marion County for $326,000, using the proceeds from drug trafficking cases. Since then, the helicopter has been completely outfitted for trauma service through a Florida EMS matching grant obtained by Monroe County Emergency Medical Services in the amount of $81,500.00.

Trauma Star operates as a government/public use category aircraft and is maintained in accordance with FAA and manufacturer’s requirements. It is certified by the State of Florida to operate as a trauma/emergency medical services air ambulance.

Trauma Star will pick up patients from the scene of an accident and transport them directly to whatever hospital or trauma center is deemed necessary depending on the injuries involved. This service saves essential treatment time by avoiding slower ground transport. Ground transport to local hospitals was the only transportation method available prior to this time except in the upper Keys, where some air transport service was available. The only air transport from the middle and lower Keys prior to this was transport from local hospitals after initial treatment was provided there.

Trauma Star can travel at speeds up to 144 miles per hour and carries a crew of two pilots, up to four patients and two flight medics. Equipment on board includes a Defibrillator, EKG, Oxygen, Ventilator, Suction, a full Advanced Life Support level medical cart as well as a rescue hoist.

Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Pandol and Colonel William “Bill” McDonald have spent many hours working on this project since the helicopter’s purchase in 2000. In addition, Monroe County EMS Battalion Chiefs Al Brotons and Gary Boswell have spent a large number of hours working toward the implementation of the program.

“Lt. Pandol and Colonel McDonald deserve recognition for their time and efforts. They really spearheaded the move to bring trauma helicopter service to the Florida Keys and we all owe them our thanks for their work,” said Sheriff Richard Roth. “Many others have also contributed their efforts, and we should all be proud of what we have accomplished. I truly believe this will save many lives and be of tremendous benefit to the people of our county.”

“We’ve waited a long time for this level of service in the county,” said Public Safety Director Reggie Paros. “Many dedicated people have put huge amounts of effort into getting this program operational. It was truly a joint effort and I’m looking forward to the County being able to provide this life saving service to our citizens.”

Reserve Deputy Report

By Reserve Captain Ted Migala

Hi from Reserve land.  Things are moving right along with the Reserve Organization.  The Sheriff is very supportive of the Reserves and is helping to address issues to make us more effective.  The Sheriff has approved Reserve Deputies to have a fully funded Bullet Proof Vest provided by the Sheriff’s Office.  Auxiliary Deputies can have a vest provided at 50% of the Auxiliary Deputies expense.  If any Auxiliary Support member wishes a vest they still have to pay 100% of the cost.

The Sheriff is supporting our efforts to work with FKCC Department of Public Safety Director Nancy Bunch, in the attendance of Law Enforcement Academies.  Ms. Bunch is working with the individual Reserve establishing a schedule to complete requirements for the different Law Enforcement Academies.  Reserve 1st Lt. Bob Smith has been the driving force behind this project and has done a great job of getting it going.  Now if a Monroe County Reserve Force member wishes to complete an Academy for upgrade the procedures are set. The procedures will be in the revised Chapter 38 of the General Orders.

The Reserve force in January/February have reported approximately 1500 hours of volunteer duty.  We have members contributing in almost every department of the Sheriff’s Office.  We are working the road, helping in C.I.U., Courts, Schools, Records, extra people at special events and anywhere else we can help out. The next big event that requires Reserve support will be the 7-Mile Bridge Run on April 20th.

That's all for now.  Be Careful out there.

Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program

By Community Relations Director Greg Artman

Explorers from the three Monroe County Sheriff office's three Cadet/Explorer posts recently went on a training trip to Jacksonville. Sixteen explorers and five advisors attended the Florida Sheriff's Explorer Association Delegates Meeting. The training featured building searches, traffic stops and team building.  Explorer Corey Jecelin was nominated to run for the position of Treasurer of the Association. The explorers had a great time at the conference and came back with a great learning experience. The Explorer Association brings Explorer posts together from around the state to meet, train and learn about leadership.

 

 

 

 

                                           

 

 

 

 

 

Bureau of Corrections

Welcome Aboard to the New Captain

Major Tommy Taylor,  Commander, Bureau of Corrections

I like to take this opportunity to recognize and welcome aboard our new team member, Capt. Penny Phelps.  Penny has over 17 years of law enforcement experience that consists of a wide range of responsibilities and assignments.  Most recent, she served as the Deputy Chief of Police of Bay City Police Department in Bay City, Michigan.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice and is currently completing a Master Degree in Organizational Leadership and Administration.

 

Sheriff Rick Roth with Captain Penny Phelps

Capt. Phelps possesses the human qualities of leadership and professional technical expertise of a top notch supervisor.  She has hit the deck running since reporting on board dealing with personnel and security issues which have been resolved effectively and efficiently. 

Capt. Phelps, as you know, replaces Capt. Ramsay as the Main Jail Operations Commander.  Capt. Ramsay took command of Sector One Law Enforcement Operations.

In appreciation of a job well done by Capt. Ramsay doing his one year tour of duty as the Main Jail Operations Commander, I can say, he epitomizes those rare qualities most sought in today's law enforcement and corrections professionals.  He realized that personal involvement and individual commitment are the cornerstones to any successful organization.  Working with and understanding people is another of his strong areas.  He knows each subordinate's abilities, limitations and desires, and integrates this knowledge into their daily activities.  His uncommon maturity and common sense, coupled with his ability to apply the correct amount of diplomacy and direct tact, allowed him to obtain the best possible results from his troops dealing in various situations. 

Thanks again Capt. Ramsay for a JOB WELL DONE!

More from the Detention Center

From Major Tommy Taylor: I like to recognize the recent promotions of Sgt. Timothy Age and Sgt. Jonathon Crane.  Their promotion is an example of hard work, dedication and commitment towards a career in law enforcement and corrections.  These two officers showed and proved they had the right stuff.  Congratulations and thanks for a JOB WELL DONE and good luck in your future endeavors

From Director Anthony Campana: THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW

The five man crew of the Transportation Division out did themselves again last year. With the assistance of the Colonel's Air Force and the expertise and direction of Connie Ray Long, we transported, extradited, and moved 9700 inmates.

We visited 44 out of 67 counties in Florida picking up and dropping of inmates. We also visited 31 states extraditing inmates back to Florida.

With our networking system in Florida ( using other counties) we saved the Monroe County Tax payers thousands of dollars last year. Thank you to everyone who assisted

From Dorothy Child: Paul Cooper has been promoted to Maintenance Supervisor.  Paul has been a wonderful employee for us in Support Services and we are delighted to see him progress.  He takes his job very seriously and we know he will make us proud.  Our motto in Support Services is, “We together make it happen” and Paul does just that.

Our Maintenance person, David Amoako and his wife Janelle were blessed with a baby girl Aikiea Margarette Amoako on February 6, 2002 at Tampa General Hospital.  She weighed in at six (6) pounds.  She was born a month early and she should be coming home soon.  Your prayers for Aikiea would be appreciated.

From Programs Director Towanda Scott: The Programs Department would like to take this opportunity to introduce and welcome aboard Stephanie Robinson, the new BOC Case Manager. Stephanie, a native of Los Angeles, California, has resided in the  Keys for nine years.  She is married with two daughters and nine grandchildren. Stephanie comes to the Sheriff's Office from Wesley House Family Resource Center, the Helpline and A Positive (APS).

From Mary Cohen:

It was so cold in Key West recently that Sasquatch
was spotted in the Monroe County Detention Center
impersonating Tom Lindsay!

 

Commendations and Awards

·        Thomas H. Hobbs of Girl Friday of the Florida Keys wrote a letter to Sheriff Roth commending Records Section Employee Debra Ritchason for her assistance with fingerprinting his wife recently. He says, “The friendly and informative manner in which Officer Ritchason performed her duties was so professional that her actions need to be commended and notice taken of her outstanding service.”

·        Miami-Dade Police Lieutenant Jorge Interian wrote a letter to the Sheriff commending both the Sheriff’s Office and Employee Leland W. Canmer for assistance in December with a family medical emergency. He says, “your department went above and beyond the call of duty”.

·        Donna Lorenzo of Big Pine Key wrote to commend Deputy Matt Dowling for his assistance with a neighborhood dispute. She says, “Deputy Dowling performed his duties in a most professional, knowledgeable, courteous and compassionate manner….I sincerely appreciate the newfound hope that Deputy Dowling has given me. You should be proud to know that someone of his caliber is out there representing the interests of the Department and our Community.”

·        Marc DeSantis, of New York, wrote to the Sheriff to commend Victim Advocate Liisa Laakko for her assistance. He says, “Liisa definitely went far above and beyond what one might normally consider the call of duty….I believe that any city in America would be lucky to have such an outstanding and committed individual serving the public.”

·        Inspector Luis Vega wrote to Lt. Mike Pandol commending the entire Aviation Division for their excellent service to the department and the community. He says, “I want you to have a genuine appreciation of the time and thought the division put into solving a trauma emergency and seeing to it that the situation was handled with such delicacy. It left a lifetime impression on both personnel at the Emergency Room, as well as crash family members.”

 Support Services

New Public Records Exclusion

By Administrative Bureau Chief Mike Rice

Recently the Public Records Statute 119.07 was revised to exclude information (home address, telephone number & photograph) from the general public if you are any of the following:

Current or former human resource, labor relations, or employee relations directors, assistant directors, managers, or assistant managers of any local government agency or water management district whose duties include hiring and firing employees, labor contract negotiation, administration, or other personnel-related duties OR spouse and children of such personnel.

If you are defined as the above, please print out and fill in the special form, to be found in Outlook Public Folders, Office of Public Information, in the “Items of Interest” folder. It is titled “PUBLIC RECORDS.doc”. Once it is completed, send it to the Human Resources Division. If you are unable to access public folders, contact Deputy Becky Herrin, PIO, (305)292-7116, or beckyherrin@keysso.net and she will send one to you.

AT&T Cellular Phones

By Finance Director Tom Ravenel

For those of you who have been assigned the new AT&T cell phones, a description of the plan is as follows:

·        The basic plan allows for 450 minutes of time from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

·        For nights and weekends, the plan allows for 1,000 minutes.  Nights begin at 8:00 p.m. and end at 7:00 a.m.  Weekends run from 8:00 p.m. Friday nights and until Monday at 7:00 a.m.

·        Minutes spent calling other agency AT&T cell phones are free.

·        The minutes allowed for each member are not pooled; that is, the minutes not used by one agency member cannot be used to cover the minutes over the plan used by another agency member.

·        Minutes exceeding the plan cost $.40 each.

·        In the event that the minutes used by an agency member exceed the allowed plan minutes, the member will be requested to review the detail of calls made and will be asked to reimburse the agency for all personal calls made up to the amount the agency is being charged by AT&T.

·        Accessories included with the basic plan include a car charger, ear piece, regular charger and a battery.

·        Features include call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, voicemail, and 3 party calls.

·        Problems with your phone or if you need a replacement phone, please see Jane Pritchett in the Finance Office.

What’s Happening

Special Olympics Torch Run

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office in cooperation with the Monroe County Special Olympics Committee invites all members of your Agency to participate in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to be held on Friday April 12^th, 2002 at 08:00 a.m. in Key West and/or 1:00 p.m. in the City of Marathon.

The Key West leg will begin at the Southernmost Point and wind through the streets arriving at H.O.B. school for a brief stop with some of the young Special Olympics athletes, then off to Key West High School, then Poinciana School and finishing at the Sheriffs Office Headquarters Building.  There will be water stops at all the schools and the run pace will be slow.    A trolley will accompany participants in case they need a rest.

The Marathon leg will begin at the Sheriff’s Office Marathon Sub-Station and head northward to the Holiday Inn.

Event T-shirts will be available for $12.00 and hats will be available for $10.00.

Members of your agency, sworn and non-sworn may register for the run by contacting Jim Painter at (305) 292-7027 or email jpainter@keysso.net.

The torch will travel across the state, carried by Law Enforcement personnel arriving in Tampa on the 26^th of April.    Please come out and join us.

 Wedding Congratulations!

 

Birthday!

 

New Baby Herdel!

  

 For Rent/For Sale

For Rent: 2 bedroom 1 Bath on the water in Bay Point $850.00 per month. Call Henry, 293-0581.

For Sale: 1997 Nissan Altima 4 door, very good condition. $7,500.00. Call Shelly between 12 noon and 5 p.m. at 296-1884.

 

For lots more sale/rent items, see the “Neighborhood Bulletin Board” in Outlook Public Folders.

 Big Brothers/Big Sisters

From Jan Scott, Case Manager

If you can spare three to five hours a week and care about children, Big Brothers/Big Sisters needs you. Big Brothers/Big Sisters is the oldest mentoring program in the U.S. and it works! The program is aimed at helping children from single-parent homes by providing them with additional adult friendship. A Big Sister is matched with a Little Sister, and a Little Brother is matched with either a Big Brother or a Big Couple. All matches are based on compatibility and get full support from the agency staff. Children’s ages range from 6— 16, so we have quite a selection, and currently we have 20 kids on a waiting list.

The ideal volunteer doesn’t need to have extensive experience with children, just a desire to make a difference in a child’s life. Volunteers are encouraged to spend quality time with their Little Brother or Little Sister and discouraged from spending a lot of money. Suggested activities include swimming, bike riding, trips to the library, fishing. helping with homework or teaching a Little Brother or Sister any number of things. Just spending time together with their “Big” is important to the children in the program.

Each volunteer is asked to make a one year commitment to spend between three and five hours each week with the Little Brother or Little Sister. This time can be all at once, or broken down between days. Some of our Military volunteers that are out to sea for 10 days at a stretch just double up time when they are in port. All volunteers are carefully screened through criminal background and reference checks, and then interviewed. The 1 - 1 ½ hour intake interview enables the Agency to determine which child will be most compatible with the volunteer. Volunteers need to be at least 19 years old. The Big Couples aspect of the Program is an ideal way for couples to reap the rewards of volunteering while spending time together.

Being a Big Brother or Big Sister is very satisfying and a lot of fun. For more information, please call 294-9891.

Pasco County’s first annual “Shootout”

From Pasco County Sheriff R.L. “Bob” White

Please accept this as my personal invitation to you and your agency members to participate in the Pasco Sheriff’s Office first annual “Shootout” to benefit the Florida Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch. The event will be held on April 27, 2002 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays complex here in Pasco County, and all proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Florida Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch.

There are several levels of participation available and any support you care to provide from your agency would be very much appreciated. We have received a tremendous response to this event; so if you plan to attend, please send your completed registration form back to Doug Johnson in the Crime Prevention unit at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, 8700 Citizen Dr., New Port Richey, FL 34654, or you may also register by calling him at (727)856- 7085 or (352)521-5100, extension 5208.

I have enclosed a brochure outlining the details of the fundraiser, which includes a registration form for your use (Contact Deputy Becky Herrin, PIO, for copies of this registration form).

Hope to see you on April 27 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida

Wishing and dreaming are a normal part of a child’s life. But for a child battling illness, wishes mean so much more. They enable the child and his/her family to create memories of joy and laughter during a time burdened by hospital visits and treatment programs.

Since 1983, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida has been granting the wishes of children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. The wish may be as simple as seeing snow or going to Disney World, or as elaborate as meeting a celebrity or traveling to a far away place.

The Foundation strives to give children and their families happy memories in a time that is otherwise emotionally and financially stressful. This year, they will grant the wishes of over 450 children throughout Southern Florida, more than one every 19 hours. At an average cost of $4,000, their mission can only be accomplished through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and community groups.

Opportunities to support the Foundation are numerous. You can donate your time by visiting with the children to determine their special wish, by reaching out to the community through public speaking or one-on-one visits, or by hosting a fundraiser through your business or civic group.

Make-A-Wish has no cures. We perform no miracles. Unless, of course, you count the smiling faces and happy hearts of the children whose lives we touch. Children whose lives you, too, can touch.

For more information on how you can help Make-A-Wish, call the Foundation at 888-773-9474 or visit us on the internet at www.wish.org/southernfla.