Paving the way for the next generation always starts with someone. For the women of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), paving the way for the next generation of women in the agency is just a small part of their job.

Having served at the PCSO for 16 years, Lieutenant Debra Knighton currently works in the Department of Detention and Corrections (DDC) as an administrative lieutenant. Some of her responsibilities include, but are not limited to, supervising the field training officer program, video visitation section, the Specialist Unit, inmate property, and more. However, her history with PCSO began as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at the jail.

“From a young age I knew I wanted to either be a correctional officer, social worker, or a nurse,” shared Lieutenant  Knighton. “I always had a passion to work in the public service sector because being able to give back and help others was, and still is, very important to me.”

When Lieutenant Knighton pursued her career as a deputy in DDC, the transition from a predominately female career to a predominately male career had its share of similarities and differences. “Although I had worked at the jail through a nursing agency, coming in as a female detention deputy was completely different,” said Lieutenant Knighton. “I felt I had to prove to my male counterparts that I could hold my own when dealing with the male inmate population. Now currently serving my 16^th year with the agency, I think I’ve done so.” While navigating through some differences in her new career, Lieutenant Knighton also noticed some similarities in her career as a deputy versus her career as a nurse. “In addition to ensuring the wellbeing of your patients, in this case the inmates, both careers required listening and not judging others. Regardless if you’re a nurse or a deputy, in the jail you are a first responder in an emergency situation and you have to possess the skills to respond quickly and make the appropriate decision during that time.”

Today, Lieutenant Knighton credits her mother who she says helped her become the woman she is. “She taught me to have a strong sense of self and to take pride in the job I perform,” said Lieutenant Knighton. “She was the type of person who strived to do the right thing even when no one was watching.” That’s a sentiment that Lieutenant Knighton associates with her mother, but at the PCSO it is associated with her.

For the women at the PCSO, navigating a field that’s predominately male comes with its challenges, but it doesn’t make their jobs any less rewarding or meaningful. “If I had to give a piece of advice to a young woman wanting to pursue a career similar to mine, I would remind her that she can do anything she puts her mind to,” said Lieutenant Knighton.

Regardless of the career path, no woman should let the fact that women are a minority in that field hold them back. For women like Lieutenant Knighton, breaking barriers while sharing her passion to help others is what inspires the upcoming generation of agency members and beyond.

Arguably, some of the most grueling training a deputy can go through after police academy is K-9 school. The school challenges each deputy’s daily regiment, their mental state, and their physical capabilities in a way that exceeds “regular” police work.

With nearly 300 hours completed out of a total 640 hours needed to graduate school, learning how to adapt to the physical, emotional, and mental asks of the school also extends into their lives at home for each of the deputies currently in school.

With school occurring four nights every week for about 10 hours each night, shifting their entire routine to accommodate an early evening start with a very early morning end time was just the beginning of the deputies adapting to their new normal. But the adjustments didn’t stop there. The handlers also had to adjust to bringing work home, a concept that Deputy LoRusso emphasized when he told the group on the first night of K-9 school that “becoming a K-9 handler is a lifestyle.”

When the weekend finally arrives, the K-9 deputies in training are able to take time to reboot for the next week by spending time with their family.

“I’ve got an adventurous spirit and luckily my family does too, so if you don’t see me at a local fishing hole or on my Jon boat, my family and I enjoy taking a trip to the rivers up north to go manatee watching,” said Deputy Hunter. Like Deputy Hunter, Deputy Zanandrie finds the greatest comfort through his family by making time for dance parties or watching movies together.

“In K-9 school we purposely switch to weekends off to allow the handlers to decompress with friends and family on a more normal schedule,” said Deputy LoRusso. “It makes it easier for them to relax and get the support they need. Like the handlers now, when I was in school, I spent my off time with my family and acclimating my four-legged partner to what was expected of him in his pack at home.”

As the deputies and their partners acclimate to the new established structure, the time away from school is time spent familiarizing the K-9 with their new family at home.

Letting their families interact as much as possible with their new partners is the way Deputy Hunter and Deputy Zanandrie get their worlds to combine. “The acclimation process is slow,” said Deputy LoRusso. “Socially we don’t shy away from interactions, but there are small hurdles that the K-9 has to overcome, like learning to not destroy every garden hose.” Luckily, for the families of Deputy Hunter and Deputy Zanandrie, the acclimation process has been a success. “My partner has become a huge part of my family’s life,” said Deputy Zanandrie. “Every morning my wife and daughters go out to say good morning before they leave and they love laying on the trampoline with him while they play outside.

There are only a few more weeks to apply for a 2022 community grant. If you know of a local non-profit organization that funds youth empowerment programs, youth-initiated projects, or programs that support children and their families, encourage them to apply for the 2022 Community Grant. Qualifying organizations can receive up to $1,000. The application deadline is March 31st, 2022. To download an application, click here. 

This year, as you prepare to file your taxes, remember that the IRS will never contact you via email, text messages, social media, or demand immediate payments. If you’re unsure if you owe money to the U.S. Treasury, you can check your tax account by visiting: http://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account.