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As members of the Communications and Public Education Section of the Public Relations Bureau it is our job – and our pleasure – to inform you about all that we do at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). We have a huge, diverse agency that does a lot more than most people realize. For the past year, we’ve been recording 56: A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Podcast, which features three curious and well-informed civilians chatting with some of the most fascinating people in the agency. We look for the people with the most interesting careers, the best personalities, and the most thrilling stories. We like to think of it as letting you eavesdrop on some of the best conversations you’ve ever heard.
We talk about serious issues – mental health, addiction, juvenile crime, homelessness, gun violence – and take deep dives into criminal cases. But we also have a lot of fun, pushing boundaries and pressing buttons and talking about whatever we can get away with. In fact, we’re one of the few law enforcement agencies that make a point to entertain as we inform. Whether on our podcast or on social media, we have some important things to share with you, and we know that you won’t pay as close attention if we’re boring. And if there’s one thing we can promise you about 56, it is that we are never boring!
We want to thank you for tuning in to 56 over the last year. If you missed any episodes, check out our guide below. We look forward to bringing you a plethora of entertaining guests in the year to come.
Episode #1 On the Shoulders of Giants – Detective Ron Chalmers
In our debut episode we talked with one of the most interesting people in the agency, Detective Ron Chalmers of the Cold Case Unit. In his first career with Reno PD he won the Police Medal of Honor for running under fire to try to save a fellow officer, and after he retired he came to PCSO where he’s been solving cold cases right and left, from missing persons, to John Does, to the 1987 murder of an elderly woman in her own home.
Episode #2 Waco on the Withlacoochee – Sergeant Mike Kilian
Canine Unit Sergeant Mike Kilian not only talks about being a K-9 handler now working with his third dog, but he also shares tales from his 33 years in law enforcement, from a victim disposed of in a woodchipper, to a nail-biting SWAT standoff that the barricaded subject promised would be a Waco on the Withlacoochee.
Episode #3 Tell me Something I Don’t Know – Deputy Anthony LaCorte
Detention Deputy of the Year Anthony LaCorte was a hero for saving two children in an off-duty incident, and he’s a hero in the jail for his philosophies of corrections that have had a positive impact on the inmates he oversees. Hear his stories about the best – and worst – parts of working in the Pinellas County Jail.
Episode #4 No Crystal Balls. Just Data – Jacqueline Danzig
Jacqueline Danzig is an Analyst Supervisor in Intelligence Led Policing, a part of our agency that helps not only solve, but even prevent crimes. She and her team track down information to catch criminals, and spot the trends that can predict the next crime wave. In this episode you’ll learn why it is almost impossible to get away with crime in Pinellas County.
Episode #5 Press Hard, Five Copies – Major Adrian Arnold
He came for the Miami Vice vibes and stayed to be a pioneer in Community Policing, with a 30-year career that led to him being a major in the Judicial Operations Bureau. Hear about his work in the courthouse, as well as stories from his years of cleaning up crime and arresting DUIs around the county. We were lucky to talk to him shortly before he retired after a long and fruitful career.
Episode #6 Insides Should Not Be on the Outside – Deputy Jill Constant
Deputy Jill Constant gained local and national acclaim first for saving a manatee in distress, and then for driving the patrol boat in the dramatic incident that ended in a leap onto a runaway vessel that was threatening life and property. As part of the Marine Unit, she combined environmentalism with a desire to put bad guys in jail. Hear about her adventures as a deputy on land and on sea.
Episode #7 Puddle People and Bubble Levels – Rhonda Klein
Assistant Forensic Science Supervisor Rhonda Klein has processed some of the most interesting – and most disgusting – crime scenes imaginable. From horrible homicides, to fires, to meth houses, our forensic scientists go into any scene to gather the evidence needed to prosecute the case.
Episode #8 Pound for Pound – Lieutenant Freddie Hayes
Lieutenant Freddie Hayes leads the Corrections Response Team (CRT), which handles the most dangerous situations in the jail, such as inmates fighting deputies, threatening self-harm, or high-risk transports. He also oversees the Honor Guard, which stands watch over deputies who perish in the line of duty. Hear his stories of working in a pod alone with 80 inmates and find out why, pound for pound, he’s the best at just about everything. We also get the first taste of the friendly rivalry between SWAT and CRT that continues with our next guest.
Episode #9 Tactical Genius – Sergeant Brian Diebold
After years of busting drug dealers, kicking in doors, and catching murderers, SWAT Supervisor Sergeant Brian Diebold is now the guy who has to stay back by the Command Bus while his SWAT team makes entry. That’s hard for a man who has made more door entries than all his current SWAT team combined, but he has plenty of thrilling stories to tell.
Episode #10 Certainly Tenacious – Sheriff Bob Gualtieri
He may be Car 1 now, but our sheriff hasn’t forgotten his roots. Sheriff Gualtieri started out at the Pinellas County Jail and was an officer in Dunedin before joining the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. Hear stories from his long stint in Narcotics, find out why he left law enforcement for law school, and learn how he made his way back to PCSO to currently lead the 15th largest sheriff’s office in the country. We’ll definitely be inviting this guest back again!
Episode #11 Beacon of Joy – Sergeant Jimmy Fortner
In this episode we talk with possibly the happiest man in the PCSO, Sergeant Jimmy Fortner. He began his career in a super max prison where stabbings, overdoses, hangings, and attacks on guards were commonplace. Now he works at the Pinellas County Jail, which despite the best resources and training can still be fraught with danger. On this episode you’ll hear about how the jail helps psych inmates and the elderly, how to maintain mental health when you work in the jail… and what severed body part he’s had hurled at his chest.
Episode #12 Buried Bodies, Scattered Skeletons – Dr. Meredith Tise
Dr. Meredith Tise is a forensic anthropologist who was involved in the excavation at the Dozier School for Boys and helped bring the remains of lost WWII service members home from Germany and the Pacific. She’s our Forensic Quality Assurance Coordinator, making sure that our Forensics Division is held to the highest standards, and also our go-to expert for any unidentified bones found in the county. Hear about some of the most fascinating cases she’s worked here at PCSO and in her entire career.
Episode #13 Vigorous Talking – Lieutenant Dave Stang
Lieutenant Dave Stang is a man so powerful he can lose eight pints of blood – the amount in an average human – and still be standing, a veritable Paul Bunyan who was running a chainsaw in the timber business at age 11 and was hired as a firefighter before he even finished high school. Here at PCSO he has spent years taking down some of the county’s most violent offenders and now heads our Tactical Investigations Section, the unit that can track down absolutely anyone in the county.
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