At the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International Conference last week in Monterey, California,Sheriff Gualtieri was recognized for his many contributions to CIT and for the Sheriff's Office's services for the mentally ill in the community. 

Sheriff Gualtieri was nominated by Donald and Judy Turnbaugh, past presidents of NAMI of Pinellas County Florida. He was selected for his commitment to and leadership in addressing issues related to mental illness.

The award recognizes the Sheriff's active involvement and leadership in coordinating a county-wide CIT program, the administration of Pinellas Safe Harbor, his attention to deputies' mental health needs, his dedication to ensuring inmates receive appropriate psychotropic medications, and his personal convention with community advocates and mental health providers.

Imagine you're standing on a flight ramp at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. You're trying to catch a glimpse in an airplane window of passengers, workers, weapons. You're on the phone with a disgruntled employee aboard the plane. What do you say? What do you do?

This is the situation members of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Negotiator Response Team faced during their monthly training on October 14. The Negotiator Response Team (NRT) is a specialized unit that Hollywood often refers to as "hostage negotiators." Its members are typically experienced and range in positions from supervisors to patrol officers. They are trained to conduct lengthy, high-risk negotiations with often barricaded subjects who have suffered a traumatic event. The NRT is divided into an Alpha and a Delta team, which each consists of five sworn members and a leader. Lieutenant Cindy Gibson and Sergeant David Disano are supervisor and assistant supervisor, respectively.

Both Alpha and Delta attend an eight-hour monthly training session, part of which is sometimes in a classroom setting. Other times, NRT members run through a focus scenario devised by a fellow team member based on news headlines, real-life situations, personal experience, and from their imaginations. PCSO's NRT has previously staged mock-situation training at the VA hospital, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and other highly populated areas.

These mock situations ensure that members get sufficient practice thinking in the necessary mindset and working as a team. With so much running through each person's mind in these high-tension circumstances - What will upset the subject? How can I relate to him/her? - team intelligence and ideas are essential.

In addition to these monthly full-team trainings, the NRT attends several classes with other NRTs throughout the month to share tactics that have and haven't worked and situations they've each encountered.

NRT Assistant Supervisor Sergeant David Disano described the trainings as striving to instill in the team members an important truth: Nothing is predictable.

11am - 2:30pm

November 15, 2014

Leverock's

840 S. Pasadena Ave.

St. Petersburg, FL 33707

Chow down on a generous portion of fried fish, hush puppies, fries, coleslaw, and a soft drink for only $5 that will benefit the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches (FSYR). The FSYR aims to prevent delinquency by developing "strong, lawful, resilient, and productive citizens" who will contribute to the present and future success of their community. 

The FSYR Fish Fry will feature live music by the St. Petersburg Community Band and various Pinellas County Sheriff's Office law enforcement displays.

To purchase tickets call:

Stacy Rein and Ricky Butler at the PCSO 

(727) 582-6672

or John Szaroleta at the FSYR (800) 765-3797.