PCSO Launches Podcast
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) strives to maintain a strong connection with the community we serve. The Public Relations Bureau brings you community events, public education programs, social media, and publications such as the one you’re reading now. To further your understanding of what the PCSO does and to introduce you to more of our members, we’ve launched 56: A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Podcast. Our new podcast will bring you the most exciting stories and interesting personalities our agency has to offer.
Why is it called 56? Law enforcement often uses special numeric codes to help make radio traffic efficient and confidential. You may be familiar with the most common codes, like 10-4 or 10-20. Other numbers vary from agency to agency, but here at the PCSO, 10-56 means to meet up. If you see two patrol cars parked end to end so the drivers can talk, they are 56-ing. When deputies meet up like this they are exchanging information, comparing call notes, or sharing the difficulties and successes of the job. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing on our new podcast.
Our first episode was inspired by stories you read here in Inside the Star about Detective Ron Chalmers of the Cold Case Unit. Get to know Detective Chalmers, from his long career at the Reno Police Department to his remarkable success in solving cold cases here at the PCSO. He’ll tell you everything from the origin of the Reno 911 comedy show to the harrowing tale of how he won the Police Medal of Honor for running through gunfire to try to save a fallen officer. Since he’s been here at the PCSO he’s put a name to the unidentified 2016 Bay Pines John Doe, and solved the horrific 1987 murder of an elderly woman, both using the cutting-edge technology of genetic genealogy.
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Marine Deputies Excel In Training
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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“I’m just going to tell you right now to leave behind anything you don’t want to get wet,” said Major Nick Lazaris on the final morning of Marine Week – five days of intense training for the deputies who patrol our waterways. “You’re going to get a little wet… or you might get completely wet. We’ll just have to see how that plays out.” The final competitive scenarios are a surprise for the members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Marine and Environmental Lands Unit, but they are based on the previous four days of training designed to enhance their skills and prepare them for the wide range of dangers they can face on the water.
The first day brought the Marine Unit deputies far offshore for live fire training on the open water. They have to train in the environment they’ll find themselves in during a rare deadly force situation, and while dry-land firearms training at the range is still relevant, it is important to expose them to what it feels like to shoot from a boat pitching in the waves.
Scenarios during the rest of the week use clearly marked training guns that fire simulation rounds, a non-lethal cartridge tipped with a marking compound. Whenever such rounds are used in training, special care is taken to make sure that no actual weapons or ammunition are on the participants or in the scenario. Each deputy is checked twice before taking part to prevent accidents, and there is an abundance of red-shirted trainers on hand to teach, observe, and ensure safety. Most of the red shirts are former Marine Unit members, and their ranks include several captains, a major, and Assistant Chief Deputy David Danzig.
The week’s scenarios were designed to test a deputy’s skill and awareness. They might do a simple safety check where they make sure a compliant boater has the proper safety equipment… or they may navigate their boat straight into an ambush. It can get tricky because most marine encounters involve a potential weapon – anglers usually have at least a knife on board. Deputies must analyze each situation carefully and never let their guard down. A responding Marine Unit deputy must be ready for anything. The week included medical training from PCSO SWAT medics, airboat training, and open water survival skills.
Everything culminated in a final day of three timed scenarios that combined everything they’d practiced that week with a little friendly competition. The one with the fastest time would win the “Marine Week Top Student Award.”
Scenarios One and Three include a slalom course where the deputy must weave a serpentine course through buoys. “You have to be fast, but not out of control fast,” said Major Lazaris. He shared the perennial red-shirt advice: smooth is fast. The trainers can shut down any training exercise immediately if there is any danger or a real-world situation such as an injury or an actual call for service. There’s also a SWAT medic on one of the referee boats as a precaution.
In the first scenario deputies got a call about two boats with people shouting at each other. As the deputy pulls up close, one of the actors opens fire on the other. The deputy has to engage, then get on the radio and let them know that shots have been fired. It sounds easy enough, but the deputy needs to worry about positioning their boat, dealing with waves and currents, and making a decision about whether to tie up to one of the vessels when they first approach. There are a lot of things competing for their attention, and just like on the road, marine deputies must maintain situational awareness at all times.
For the second scenario, someone on an island is having a medical emergency. Deputies have to approach the island the right way so they don’t run aground, then beach the boat and render aid to a rescue dummy that is having a heart attack. The scenario stops as soon as they hook up the AED or start CPR.
Hopping out of the boat is easy, but getting back in can present some difficulty, a problem that becomes evident when they get their next call for a person in the water drowning. They need to get their boat underway, fast! Some of the deputies thought ahead and dropped the stairs in the back of the boat, so it was easy to climb back on. Others had to haul themselves up over the edge from the beach, costing them precious seconds in the timed contest. Motoring away from the island has its own trick, and only one deputy knew the sneaky passage through the shallow water that would get them to the deep channel faster. That demonstrated the importance of being intimately familiar with the waterways they patrol, even the tiniest islands.
On scene with the drowning victim, deputies had to position themselves perfectly. The most skillful placed the boat where the current would gently push them to exactly the right position to reach over and haul the floating dummy onboard – no easy task because it weighs 180 pounds dry, and even more wet. Others opted to reach for the victim with a boat hook and pull them closer. Each deputy saved their drowning victim.
“There’s a skill to doing this,” said Assistant Chief Deputy Danzig. “Most people think working in the Marine Unit is just riding around on the water having fun, because most people only have experience with recreational boating.” But deputies must operate in all kinds of conditions. The last day of training was windy, and Danzig said he probably wouldn’t go out as a recreational boater. “But people make bad decisions and go out in dangerous conditions, so we have to go out too, to rescue them.”
“You have to think about the cop part all the time too,” he added. “You train as a cop to keep all these things in mind – don’t let the bad guy too close or let them get behind you. Then all that goes out the window because you have to tie up alongside of them. While you’re trying to run things and keep the boat under control you also have to keep in mind that they could be armed.”
Deputy Stephen Esposito won the Marine Week Top Student Award with the best overall time. “This was great training, we learned a lot this week,” he said. Even though he has SWAT and marine experience from a previous agency, he didn’t think he was going to win because every single Marine Unit deputy was tough competition. “Any one of these guys could have been the top operator this week. This unit is great.”
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Chain of Command: Sergeant
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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If you see someone with three stripes on their sleeve and a gold star, you’re looking at a sergeant. While corporals are appointed, sergeants must take a test to qualify for the position. Law enforcement or corrections deputies who have served for at least five years can take the exam which consists of a written assessment plus 100 multiple choice questions about general orders, criminal procedures, state statutes, and other topics about the agency. If they pass they are added to the eligibility list and will be considered whenever there is an opening for a new sergeant.
A sergeant’s primary role is to supervise their squad or unit, but the exact nature of their duties varies depending on which part of the agency they work in. In patrol, Sergeant Meagan Nestor says her main responsibility is to monitor the deputies in her squad, be a mentor, and make sure everyone goes home safe at the end of each shift – and that’s an accurate summary of every sergeant’s responsibilities.
In the Robbery/Homicide Unit, Sergeant Richie Redman says that “Sergeants handle the daily responsibilities of assigning cases and reviewing reports, as well as more long-tern responsibilities such as ensuring that investigations related to open cases remain active.” For him, reviewing cases every morning can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on recent criminal activity. After that, a lot of his job involves bringing the best minds together to contribute to solving the toughest cases. A sergeant has to recognize and utilize the talents of the people in their unit.
Sergeant India Clark, who works in the South Division of the jail, has 14 members reporting directly to her. “In the housing units I am responsible for, there are a range of inmates that we deal with, from those with very serious felony charges, behavioral issues, and those with mental health challenges.” She’s also responsible for the only female housing area within South Division. Her day usually starts with a visit to each housing unit to help with zone inspections. “I try to give them some positive encouragement for the day, because at any given moment things can go from zero to 100 just like that. I try to be visible and let my squad know I am there for them.”
“Stepping into the leadership role has provided me more responsibilities, tasks, and different challenges that keep the job interesting,” said Sergeant Nestor. Sergeants have to keep a close eye on the people they supervise but make sure to teach and encourage rather than criticize. “I hold them accountable to their mistakes, but I do not scold them like an angry parent. I use each mistake as a training moment and not necessarily discipline unless it becomes an ongoing issue."
A sergeant’s job is more about building people up than breaking them down – the common goal is to have skilled and satisfied deputies who love the job they do and do it well. Sergeant Redman says, “Sergeants are responsible for monitoring the performance of their squad members. This not only includes making sure that deficiencies are improved upon, but also that significant strengths and accomplishments are recognized. In my current role, the members of my unit consistently prove to be motivated and enthusiastic investigators. As their sergeant, I’m largely responsible for ensuring that they have the resources necessary to do their jobs and for maintaining an environment wherein they can assume ownership of their investigations.”
Each sergeant’s path to their rank is unique. Sergeant Nestor began to take on a leadership role as a corporal in the Narcotics Division. “I took an interest in helping guide detectives’ cases and passing along the knowledge I had gained.” Later she passed the sergeant test – which requires a score of 80 percent or above – and was on the eligibility list for a year and a half before being promoted to sergeant in the Patrol Operations Bureau.
Sergeant Redman found his niche in Robbery/Homicide and worked his way up the ranks there, with great mentorship along the way. “For me, stepping into a leadership role was relatively smooth due to it being a gradual process that took place primarily within the Robbery/Homicide Unit. After being assigned as a detective and being tasked with minor responsibilities such as assisting newer unit members, I was assigned as the unit corporal. As the corporal, I had the opportunity to ease into a leadership role while still receiving guidance from the sergeant. During that time, the sergeant spent significant time ensuring that I was proficient in handling the daily supervisory responsibilities. When I was promoted to the rank of sergeant approximately a year later, I was largely familiar with what managing a squad of detectives entailed.”
Each rank prepares those below them for new career opportunities and advancement. “I make sure I meet with them individually periodically to discuss what goals they have set for themselves and their specific interests,” said Sergeant Nestor. “I help provide them with guidance, training, and schedule ride-alongs with the specific units they are interested in. My job is to help get my deputies where they want to go career wise and provide them with the tools to get it done.”
Sergeant Clark began her career here in 2004 as a mail clerk, but friends encouraged her to go to the corrections academy and she became a detention deputy in 2007. “Getting to sergeant and that role as a leader was important for me because I wanted to be that example for my kids. Being a single mom of four for many years taught me that I couldn’t give up. I had to always remember that I had someone looking at me and counting on me to make it. When I was promoted to sergeant I felt like that was my opportunity to show not only them but others with similar situations that you too can make it no matter your circumstance. Your integrity, honor, hard work, and dedication will pay off. Especially now that I have a granddaughter, I want her to know that she can be anything she wants to be – with hard work and determination the sky is the limit.”
Part of being a good leader is acknowledging other people’s talents and recognizing that members of all ranks can learn from each other. “In my case, some of the detectives assigned to my squad are more seasoned investigators than me,” said Sergeant Redman. “Subsequently, it’s necessary to earn their confidence and respect by means other than investigative experience.” Leaders also have to make the hard calls, and then take responsibility for them. “My goal has been and will remain to do this by ensuring that I own the responsibility for any decisions that I might make in opposition to their dissenting opinions, regardless of the outcome. This is a practice that I’ve observed over several years demonstrated by those currently above me in the chain of command.”
Many qualities go into making a good sergeant who has the respect of their unit, but Sergeant Clark knows what’s most important to her. “I believe my best quality as a leader is my ability to actively listen. The ability to hear what is being said allows me to communicate with care and focus on their message.”
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Community Grant Applications Are Open |
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Every year the Sheriff’s Citizens Association funds local initiatives through its Community Grant Program. Awards of up to $1,000 will be given to programs that empower youth, support children and families, or to programs founded by young people. Funds for the award come from Citizens Association members’ annual dues and donations throughout the year. Last year the Citizens Association gave a total of $15,000 to worthy initiatives.
The Sheriff’s Citizens Association is a networking group of people who are dedicated to supporting and learning more about the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). A committee votes on the winners. If your organization could use a little help in helping the community, please apply here. The application deadline is March 31, 2023.
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