Sheriff Gualtieri Takes Local Lessons Nationwide as MCSA President

February 24, 2026

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

Pinellas County’s own Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has been elected president of the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), a professional organization for sheriff’s offices serving counties or parishes with a population of more than 400,000, or more than 700 employees. Pinellas County has a year-round population of almost a million people, with an additional 15 million tourists coming through our county every year. Overseeing law enforcement responsibilities for such a populous area, with such a large staff of patrol deputies, detention deputies, and civilian support staff presents unique challenges. Sheriff Gualtieri has shown himself adept at both keeping the county safe and advocating nationally for law enforcement policy.

“Collaboration and communication are very important for law enforcement,” Sheriff Gualtieri said. “We do that well here in Pinellas County, and we do that well in Florida. Through Major County Sheriffs of America we’re able to do the same thing nationally.” Though crime exists everywhere, different communities have different needs. “One of the things we have to be aware of is that the country is diverse – there’s a lot of diversity as far as the situations individual communities face, the politics of different communities, and the community sentiment. What works in one place doesn’t work in another so you can’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.”

A lot of what MCSA does is focused on legislative matters. “We want to make sure that we get good laws through and help prevent things that are detrimental to public safety,” Sheriff Gualtieri said. Some of their major pushes are for ways to leverage technology to make law enforcement more effective and keep people safer “Over the last few years one of the greatest successes we’ve had is getting authority for state and local law enforcement to mitigate drones. A lot of people are doing nefarious things with drones, like flying them into prison rec yards and dropping contraband, or using them at large-scale events where someone could cause a lot of harm with them.” Until recently, only the federal government regulated drones and had the authority to take them down if they were a threat or violated protected airspace, such as around an airport. Now, thanks in part to a push from MCSA, state and local authorities can step in when a drone presents a threat to public safety.

As president of MCSA, Sheriff Gualtieri will also continue the organization’s tradition of information sharing. “It facilitates the sharing of information among the 100 largest sheriff's offices in the country. It ties everybody together to eliminate silos and share information.”

Sheriff Gualtieri’s presidency comes after having served as vice president of MCSA for the last two years. In his new role as president he will continue to bring together the vast wealth of knowledge and experience represented by the members of the MCSA to increase public safety across the nation. “Law enforcement has become more than just enforcing the law,” said Sheriff Gualtieri. “We are responsible for mental health issues, effective alternatives to incarceration, strong community partnerships, supporting federal and state initiatives at the local level, and other emerging threats and issues facing our jurisdictions. MCSA works with the largest sheriff's offices to address issues of public concern with a sense of urgency through advocacy, communication, education, and research. Our sheriffs’ agencies are united, and we challenge each other to be better prepared to meet public safety needs.”

Connection Without Protection Can Lead to Cyber Infection

by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

It feels like it should be safe: a reputable business, such as a coffee shop, is offering free public Wi-Fi for you to use while you sip and snack. But whenever anything is free, it pays to be a little suspicious. Using free public Wi-Fi opens you up to a potential cyberattack. Attackers can steal your information, or trick you into getting infected with malware. When you get some work or social media scrolling done at your local café, don’t let yourself be vulnerable.

The best policy is to not do anything on a public Wi-Fi that you wouldn’t want the world to see. Don’t do any banking or shopping, don’t enter your passwords or credit card information. Save that for when you’re on a trusted, secure private network. If you have to use public Wi-Fi, there are some ways to keep yourself safer.

First of all, turn off auto-connect. You don’t want your phone, laptop, or other device to connect to a network as soon as it detects it. You need to be able to choose whether or not you connect. You can set it up to automatically connect to trusted networks – home, friends and family, workplace – while not automatically connecting to any others.

When you do choose to connect to public Wi-Fi, look closely at the name. Is it the real network associated with the business that is offering the service, or is it an “evil twin” with a similar name that is created to trick you. For example, a coffee house called Human Bean might offer a free network called “HumanBeanFreeWi-Fi” but when you look for a network the first one you see is “FreeHumanBeanWiFi.” Which one is real? Your best bet is to ask the business itself, or look for a sign they have posted, then make sure what you’re connecting to is an exact match. If you connect to a fraudulent network, someone can see what you’re surfing. If you enter sensitive information like your password, they may be able to see it and steal it.

Some Wi-Fi connections want you to sign in or accept terms of use, so you may get a popup before you can get online. Before you enter any personal information, make sure you’re on the real network. Scammers might trick you into downloading or installing malware, or manipulate you into entering personal information. If you get a popup when connecting to public Wi-Fi, ask the business if it is legitimate, and never enter personal information or click a link.

Whether on public Wi-Fi or on a secure network, look for a locked padlock icon in the address bar of your browser, and a URL that starts with HTTPS. The “S” is the important part – it stands for “secure.” That lets you know that the page is encrypted and sensitive information you send can’t be intercepted in transit. Be aware though that this only protects the information from being seen when in transit. If the website itself is fake or malicious, the information can still be delivered to an attacker, so make sure you’re going to a safe website in the first place. It’s like if you hire a guard to deliver a letter – they might keep it safe during delivery, but if you told them to give it to a dangerous person it’s not protected.

Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help keep you safe because it encrypts your data and keeps it invisible as it goes through a network. Even if your data is intercepted, it can’t be read.

Another good practice whether on a public or a secure connection is to always use strong passwords and multifactor verification. This makes use of at least two kinds of verification. It may use something you know, such as a password or the answer to a security question, combined with something you possess, such as a code texted to a phone, or something that you are, such as facial recognition or a fingerprint.

The safest option when looking for a connection out in the wild is to make your own hotspot. If you need to use your laptop and have your phone with you, you can turn on your phone’s mobile hotspot and use that signal for your laptop. You know it is secure, and no one else can use it or intercept your data.

There’s another vulnerability connected with something free to the public that is mostly theoretical, but the FBI and TSA warn about it, so it doesn’t hurt to be aware of it. Some places like airports, theme parks, and hospitals offer charging ports for public use. Some even include cables that are compatible with a variety of devices. But USB ports don’t just charge devices – they can also transfer data. In a cyberattack known as juice jacking, the USB charging port or cable could be compromised so that when you charge your device, malware could be installed or your data could be stolen. Key loggers could track everything you type, including passwords. Malware could let someone remotely access your device.

Juice jacking is extremely rare, but you can avoid any possibility by using your own charger plugged into a wall outlet instead of using a USB port. You can also charge your device from your own power bank. Or you could use a USB data blocker, which ensures that only power, not data, is exchanged between the port and your device.

Free public Wi-Fi access lets people connect and work anywhere. It is a boon to remote workers and travelers. It helps families who can’t afford home internet, allowing kids to access educational materials and adults to search for jobs. After natural disasters such as hurricanes, public Wi-Fi offers a lifeline when home internet isn’t functioning. Despite these many benefits, people should be aware of the risks, and take precautions.

In general, if anything is free or open to the public you should be cautious. If you’re using public Wi-Fi, a public computer such as at the library, or any shared device, don’t log into your bank or other sensitive accounts. Using public Wi-Fi is like having a conversation other people can eavesdrop on – don’t say anything other people shouldn’t know.