On February 14th, Nikolas Cruz shot 34 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17.

Less than a month later, Governor Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Part of the new legislation requires each district school board and school district superintendent work with law enforcement agencies to assign at least one “safe-school officer” at every school facility in Florida.

In conjunction with this requirement, the Act permits county sheriffs to establish a Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, named after a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School employee who lost his life protecting students during the shooting. The Guardian Program – which is completely voluntary for a sheriff to establish and for a school district to participate in – involves hiring armed “guardians,” who have completed a minimum 132 hours of comprehensive firearm safety and proficiency training, passed a psychological evaluation and drug tests, and completed certified diversity training, to protect school campuses from armed assailants.

The Pinellas County School Board elected to participate in the Guardian Program, hiring almost 90 guardians to complete an extensive training program developed by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Training Division.

The guardians began the intensive five-week, 176-hour training program Monday, July 2nd, with two days of classroom instruction about diversity and legal issues like the Fourth Amendment and concealed-carry laws.

The following weeks entailed a combination of basic firearms instruction, CPR/TECC certification, defensive tactics education, and scenario-based drills designed to prepare trainees to respond to active assailant incidents on school premises. 

“We have experience levels from retired law enforcement officers and retired military to somebody who was a school bus driver that’s never done law enforcement or any type of firearms training before,” said PCSO Training Division Lieutenant Greg Danzig during the second week of the training program. “So this is a unique experience for us, but so far, the guardians are doing quite well.”

On Friday, August 3rd, 81 men and women received certificates officially certifying them as Pinellas County Schools guardians.

Like law-enforcement-certified school resource officers, guardians are on campus full time to keep students, teachers, and faculty safe. However, there are distinct differences in their duties and limitations. While guardians are armed with a handgun, body armor, and a flashlight, they do not have arrest powers or the authority to detain, interrogate, and/or question subjects. Likewise, guardians do not have patrol vehicles, handcuffs, police radios, or secondary weaponry like school resource officers do.

With the start of the 2018-2019 school year, guardians have taken their posts at elementary and charter schools across the county. The PCSO will continue to provide training in various capacities to guardians throughout the year. 

"Overall, the training program went really well," Lieutenant Danzig said. "Our trainers greatly enjoyed the experience. Being a trainer means taking on new challenges, and this was a large one."

While the program is off to a great start, Pinellas County Schools must employ a total of 110 guardians to cover every school with built-in relief. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a guardian, contact the Pinellas County School Board at board@pcsb.org or 727-588-6300.

It’s back-to-school time, so get ready for your first lesson of the school year: traffic safety.

The streets on which your children travel to school are populated by drivers on their cell phones, putting on their makeup, and eating breakfast as they rush to make it to work or to drop off their own kids on time.

In addition to average pedestrians’ usual dangers, like drivers’ blind spots and violations, young children’s slower walking speeds, small statures, minimal traffic experience, still-developing cognitive abilities, and general impulsiveness increase the threat of an accident.

So whether you drive your children to school or you send them to the bus stop, we’ve got some back-to-school traffic safety tips for you and your students.

For you

• During the school year, you can expect increased traffic in the mornings and afternoons. Allot extra time to get where you’re going to prevent rushing and making careless, dangerous mistakes.
• It is illegal – not to mention dangerous – to pass a school bus when it displays its stop signal. So unless the roadway is divided by an unpaved space of at least 5 feet, a raised median, or a physical barrier, hit the brakes while students board and disembark the bus.
• There is a reason that speeding fines are doubled in school zones and designated school crossings. Be alert for signs designating such areas as well as for school crossing guards who will help direct you.

For your kids

• Riding the bus? Stand at least three giant steps from the curb while waiting for the bus. Stay there until it comes to a complete stop and opens the doors before boarding.
• Riding a bicycle? Florida law requires children under age 16 to wear a helmet while riding a bike. Check bikes regularly to ensure they’re properly maintained, and remember the basic rules of the road: ride in a single-file line on the right side of the road, make a complete stop at stop signs and intersections, and walk bikes across busy streets.
• Drivers aren’t the only ones whose distractions can be deadly. While a rowdy travel-buddy, a cell phone, a video game, or a forgotten homework assignment may vie for pedestrians’ attention, paying attention to the sidewalks, roads, and directions from school crossing guards take priority – always.

So as you ease back into the school year, make sure that with alarm clocks, homework, and afterschool activities, you add everyday traffic safety to your weekday routine.

Did you know that many equipment requirements for boaters depend on the size of the vessel and/or the boaters’ intended destination?

While it can be tricky to determine exactly what safety items must be present, where they should go, and when, it is vital to your safety – and others’ – that you are well equipped before you set out to sea.

To relieve any confusion, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is hosting free vessel equipment checks at Pinellas County boat ramps monthly throughout the summer.

One weekend each month through September, Marine Unit deputies will be stationed on land at two boat ramps in the county. They will circulate throughout the parking lot to ensure boaters have all the legally required equipment specific to their vessels before they launch.

Examples of what deputies will be checking for include:

• The proper number of personal flotation devices
• Fire extinguishers
• Flares or other visual distress signals
• Proper lighting for evenings/nights or periods of reduced visibility, like rain or fog

Marine Unit deputies had a rainy start to the vessel equipment check program, hosting the first events of the season Saturday, May 19^th, at Pinellas War Veterans Memorial Park Boat Ramp and Sunday, May 20^th, at Fort De Soto Park Boat Ramp.

By conducting these vessel equipment checks, deputies hope to inform boaters who are missing a required item about the issue before they reach the water, where they could be issued a citation for the problem.

We also encourage you to use this opportunity to ask deputies questions about boating safety, navigating local waters, and anything law enforcement-related about which you are unsure.

Visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) website for a list of other mandatory items based on your boat type: http://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/equipment/

As of June 1st, Hurricane Season has blown back into town as quickly as it left last November.

Floridians know as well as anyone how unpredictable hurricanes can be and how abruptly their paths can shift. If there is one thing Hurricane Irma taught us, it is to be prepared.

First and foremost, you must know in what evacuation zone you reside. Evacuation zones are based on several factors, including ground elevation and vulnerability to storm surge.

During a potential disaster, emergency management and public safety officials are in constant communication with each other and other agencies, like the National Weather Service, to ensure we are as educated as possible before making decisions about what areas should evacuate and when. But if citizens don’t know that they are required to leave, they won’t.

Learn your evacuation zone by typing your address into the map at www.pinellascounty.org/knowyourzone or by calling the Pinellas County Interactive Hurricane Evacuation Inquiry Line, 727-453-3150, and entering the landline associated with the location in question.

If you live in a barrier island community, make sure you are registered for and know where you’ve placed your emergency access permit. When a mandatory evacuation order is lifted, law enforcement officials will scan emergency access permits at designated re-entry points.

Barrier island residents may register directly with their city government during its general office hours year round, so don’t wait until an evacuation order has been issued to secure yours. 

If you registered for and still possess your emergency access permit from years prior, you DO NOT need to register again. If you don’t know if you need a permit, visit www.pcsoweb.com/emergency-access-permit or call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 727-582-6200.

Just as you should have an escape plan in case of a fire, it is important you plan ahead for what you should do in case of a hurricane. Again, don’t wait until the last minute.

If you plan to stay at your residence, create a hurricane survival kit with plenty of bottled water, canned or dry foods that won’t go bad, a battery-powered radio, candles, basic first-aid items, vital medications, etc. Visit www.pinellascounty.org for a list of suggested hurricane survival kit items.

If you plan to evacuate, we highly recommend staying with friends or relatives or in a hotel if possible. However, if you have no alternate accommodations, Pinellas County has 34 potential emergency shelters. A few of these shelters are specifically designated for citizens with special needs but are limited to basic medical monitoring and back-up electricity for lighting. If you know that you and your family would need transport assistance to any Pinellas County shelter, register ahead of time to ensure you receive it. Register online at www.pinellascounty.org/specialneeds.

For a full list of shelters, visit Pinellas County Government’s website. Keep in mind that not all shelters will open for every evacuation, so check www.pinellascounty.org/emergency or call the Citizen Information Center at 727-464-4333 to learn which are open.

Finally, stay connected. Leading up to a potential hurricane or other emergency, it is our top priority to keep citizens informed so that we can all get through it together and as efficiently as possible. Follow the Sheriff’s Office and Pinellas County Government on Facebook and Twitter and look for “#GetReadyPinellas” for posts including preparation tips, situation-specific details, evacuation orders, etc. Also, download the free “Ready Pinellas” app in the App Store or Google Play to receive updates as they are issued.

Keeping citizens safe is EVERYONE’s responsibility. We might not know when and where the next disaster will strike, but with proper preparation and open communication, we can be ready for it.

• Complete a safe boating course: Driving a car and operating a boat require different skill sets and knowledge about entirely different rules and regulations. Enrolling in an in-person or online boaters' safety course is a great way to learn the rules of the water and familiarize yourself with basic boating principles. Visit the National Safe Boating Council website for links to several approved online courses.
• Know your boat: Before you set sail, get familiar with the vessel you are operating and the area you are navigating, including water depth, tides, weather, slow or idle speed requirements, and swim exclusion and restricted zones.
• Get in the zone: Manatee Protection Zones are back in effect through October 31st. Vessel operators should pay close attention to all signs throughout the Intracoastal, specifically looking for zones that have not only been implemented within the last year but also extended to provide extra protection for manatees. Marine Unit deputies will be regularly monitoring and enforcing these zones. Note: Rules and restrictions are constantly changing, so it is important to stay up-to-date, even if you are a seasoned boater.
• Get equipped: Florida law requires that one personal flotation device (PFD), or "lifejacket," per passenger be readily accessible on the vessel at all times, and children under age 6 must wear PFDs while underway. PFDs aren't the only required boating gear. Visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) website for a list of other mandatory items based on what type of boat you have.
• Scan constantly: There are no stop signs or traffic lights on the water, so you MUST constantly scan the water for other boaters, swimmers, water skiers, or stumps and other landmarks jutting up from the water that could severely damage your boat or harm you and others. 
• File a "float plan": Share your trip details - where you're going, when you plan to return, passengers' names, and boat information - with a responsible person before you launch, in case you lose contact in an emergency. Make sure to contact that person when you return safely.
• Don't boat under the influence: Remember, operating any vehicle - including a boat - while impaired by drugs or alcohol is illegal and can end in a lot worse than a citation. Just as you would before a night out on the town, designate a sober driver for days on the water.

It only takes a spark to ignite a flame.

Each year, law enforcement officers throughout Pinellas County hope to be that spark, lighting the flame atop the ceremonial torch that they use to shine a light of awareness on a community often cast in the shadows.

For more than 25 years, Pinellas County has hosted the Law Enforcement Torch Run to raise awareness for the Special Olympics and to bring attention to the many sports programs available for the intellectually disabled.

The Torch Run was created in 1982 in Wichita, Kansas, to keep law enforcement active in the community and support Special Olympics Kansas. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) first endorsed the Torch Run in 1983. Today, it is the largest public awareness and fundraising group for the Special Olympics, with more than 97,000 law enforcement members nationwide participating annually.

Throughout March, April, and May, Florida law enforcement agencies will host 70 Torch Run events, including runs in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee, and of course, Pinellas counties.

Before the sun rises Wednesday, April 25th, sworn personnel, staff, and community supporters accompanied by Special Olympics athletes will gather at the St. Petersburg Police Department to light the torch, which they will pass from agency to agency in six relay race legs spanning Pinellas County.

This year’s participating agencies include the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and police departments from Belleair, Clearwater, Kenneth City, Largo, Pinellas Park, and Tarpon Springs.

Participants run and bike a combined total of more than 20 miles, stopping at various law enforcement buildings, public parks, and special needs schools, where they are greeted by booming music, rejuvenating snacks, and crowds of supporters holding motivational signs and banners.

In addition to the community awareness and sense of law enforcement unity and support, the Torch Run raises money through merchandise sales. Last year, the Pinellas County event raised almost $10,000, which benefited Pinellas County Special Olympics athletes participating in the annual state summer games.

This year, you can purchase sizes small-3XL performance shirts for $20, cotton t-shirts for $15, and one-size-fits-all baseball caps for $10.

Before the final stop at Paul B. Stephens Exceptional Student Education Center, the very people for whom participants are racing will meet them down the road to join them in the last few steps before they cross the finish line, hand in hand.

For more information or to purchase Torch Run apparel, contact the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Public Relations Bureau at 727-582-6221.

                                                       

2. Whether you're at the beach, on the boat, or in the backyard, your Spring Break plans likely include outdoor activity, so don't forget the sunscreen! The Centers for Disease Control recommends using broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15, even if it's slightly cloudy. Make sure to apply it 15-30 minutes before you head outdoors to allow your skin sufficient time to absorb it.

3. If you’re hitting the road, secure your home. Lock your doors and windows, and put valuables in a safe place. Tell a friend or neighbor that you will be out of town, and ask him/her to pick up your mail and newspapers, because a packed mailbox or a stack of newspapers at your front door signals would-be burglars that you are not there. If you would like someone to check on your home while you are away, contact your local law enforcement agency. If you live in the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s jurisdiction, call us at 727-582-6200, and a deputy or Volunteer Patrol member will be glad to conduct a vacation home check.

4. Whether you are taking a long trip out of town or driving the pedestrian-packed beach streets, be extra vigilant behind the wheel. Drive defensively. Make sure everyone is properly buckled up and using the appropriate child safety restraints. Allot extra time to get where you’re going to prevent rushing and making careless, dangerous mistakes. Conversely, if you are the pedestrian, be on the lookout for distracted drivers, use crosswalks, and always be aware of your surroundings. 

5. If you are at least 21 years old and choose to drink alcohol, do so responsibly. Be mindful of area laws and ordinances related to the possession of open containers in public, and never accept a drink from a stranger. Know your limits, and remember that time in the sun maximizes the effects of alcohol. Of course, NEVER drink and drive. Instead, designate a sober friend or use taxi services and ride-share apps.

This month, we celebrate Valentine's Day, and love is in the air.

Most would agree that love is a beautiful gift, but it isn't always easy.

Love can be difficult.

Love can be stressful.

Love can be heartbreaking.

But love is NEVER destructive.

In 2016, Florida law enforcement agencies received 105,668 domestic violence reports, according to the Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence. State of Florida data shows that there were 6,829 reported domestic violence offenses in Pinellas County alone, averaging 18.7 domestic violence offenses a day.

Sadly, these reports likely reflect only a fraction of the number of domestic violence instances that actually took place. Many domestic violence victims do not report their abusers due to shame, fear, or abuser interference.

In 2016, about 19% of reported domestic violence offenses in Florida were between spouses, and another 29% were between co-habitants, according to a Florida Statistical Analysis Center's uniform crime report.

These previously formed, seemingly positive relationships between victims and abusers make it easy for victims to justify the abuse as an accident or a one-time occurrence and to accept pledges that "it will never happen again" and promises of love.

But remember: Love is NEVER destructive.

This is not to say that intimate relationships - be they spousal, parental, sibling, child, etc. - will not experience their ups and downs. However, it is important to know the difference between healthy occasional discord and the physical and emotional volatility that characterize abuse. 

Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors, such as intimidation, physical violence, emotional degradation, or economic manipulation, to establish power and control over an intimate partner. Its effects on victims extend beyond the obvious physical bruising and emotional scarring.

In the United States alone, intimate partner violence costs exceed $8.3 billion per year, including $5.8 billion in direct health care expenses and $2.5 billion in lost productivity, according to Forbes. This likely relates to that fact that among homeless mothers with children, more than 80% had previously experienced domestic violence, and between 22-57% of all homeless women reported that domestic violence was a leading cause of their homelessness, according to a Family and Youth Services Bureau report. Medically, women who have been physically abused are 80% more likely to experience a stroke and 70% more likely to have heart disease, according to a Centers for Disease Control report.

While the list of domestic violence's negative effects goes on, any abusive relationship you know about does not need to.

Pinellas County offers various free and confidential services for domestic violence victims, including victim advocate services, like those provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, a statewide domestic violence hotline (800-500-1119), and two local domestic violence shelters: Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) and The Haven of RCS.

CASA services southern Pinellas County, offering a 133-bed emergency shelter, support groups, and courtroom advocacy as well as operating the area's 24-hour hotline: 727-895-4912.

The Haven provides similar services for northern Pinellas County, including its own 24-hour hotline: 727-442-4128.

CASA and The Haven are both 501(C)3 charitable organizations that are always in need of donations and volunteers. Visit their websites for more information on how you can help.

As always, if you or someone you know is ever in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Spend this Valentine's Day celebrating the love in your life, eradicating unhealthy relationships, and learning to recognize the difference between the two.

Through extra-curricular activities, youth build stronger relationships not only with their peers but also with adults who supervise them and act as positive role models aside from their parents.

Just as students learn how to read from their teachers at school, how to make friends from their peers on the playground, and how to swing a bat from their coaches on the field, they can learn how to be involved, upstanding young citizens from their local law enforcement officers.

If they’ve never interacted with a law enforcement officer, the deputy walking around in a pressed green uniform with a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip might seem intimidating or even threatening. 

But the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office wants young people to know that not every interaction with law enforcement has to be a bad one. Instilling in children a comfortable familiarity with and understanding about the local organizations that work to keep them safe can steer them toward the path to a bright future.

To that end, the Sheriff’s Office offers a wide variety of extra-curricular programs for its youth, including the Sheriff’s Teen Citizens Academy.

The Sheriff's Teen Citizens Academy is a 6-week program that allows Pinellas County teens the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes look at the Sheriff's Office.

The program, a modified version of the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy for adults, is geared toward teens between ages 15 and 18 who have an interest in law enforcement but aren’t able to commit to a long-term educational program or a law enforcement explorer program.

Although dragging a teenager out of bed on Saturday mornings can be a struggle, after the first week, Teen Citizens Academy students will be so ready for the next tour, hands-on training, or demonstration that they’ll beat you to the car.

Whether they’re weaving through cones behind the wheel of a patrol cruiser, being guided down the halls of the Pinellas County Jail, or learning how to shoot the same guns Sheriff’s Office deputies are issued, students learn the agency’s ins and outs from more than what they see in movies, on television, or in the news.

At the conclusion of the academy, students attend a graduation ceremony with Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and several agency members at the Sheriff’s Administration Building.

Registration for the next Sheriff’s Teen Citizens Academy class (scheduled for Saturdays from February 3 through March 10) is due January 19, so complete your teens’ applications today!

For the full Sheriff’s Teen Citizens Academy schedule, an application, or to learn more about the course in general, visit www.pcsoweb.com/sheriffs-teen-citizens-academy, or contact Community Programs at 727-582-6612 or communityprograms@pcsonet.com. 

As we broach the pinnacle of the holiday season and count down the final days of 2017, we look forward to social celebrations and new years’ resolutions with high expectations. But during a busy season of festivities and driving, plans for the future can plummet as quickly as the ball in Times Square if you don’t take the proper precautions.

In 2015, 10,265 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, which accounts for 29 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States, according to the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

One death due to impaired driving is too many, let alone one every 51 minutes, and it is not always the irresponsibly impaired driver whose life is lost. In 2015, 181 children – occupants of vehicles with impaired drivers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians/bicyclists, etc. – died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, according to the NHTSA.

If potential lives lost aren’t enough motivation to stay away from the driver’s seat after drinking alcohol or taking other impairing drugs and medications, consider the tremendous financial burden that comes with a driving while impaired (DWI) charge.

According to the NHTSA, DWI costs range from $5,000 to $20,000, with the national average at $10,000. If you cause a crash, injury, or death, the costs are even higher – not to mention the incalculable value of a lost life.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office conducts several DUI Wolf Pack operations throughout the county year-round to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage associated with traffic crashes related to impaired driving, and the holiday season is no exception.

Fortunately, drug- and alcohol-impaired driving are easily preventable.

The obvious – and only – option for people who, for whatever reason, must drive, is to abstain from consuming mind-altering substances. However, if you are of legal drinking age, there are several alternative transportation options available.

Designating a responsible driver whom you can trust to abstain from drugs and alcohol to drive you is likely the cheapest option. Taxi services and ride-share programs like Uber and Lyft are also excellent options to get you home safely at relatively low costs – especially when compared to a $10,000 DWI.

In this busy season of parties, travel, and often drinking, holiday plans could end in tragedy if you don’t take the proper safety precautions. I urge you to be responsible, plan ahead, and DON’T drive while impaired – now, or at any time of year.