October 11, 2022
A Fallen Hero is Laid to Rest
 by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
On October 3, 2022 Deputy Michael Hartwick was paid final honors for his lifetime of service. Hundreds of his fellow deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) as well as from neighboring agencies packed Idlewild Baptist Church to pay their respects. Deputy Hartwick’s friends and family came together to remember a man who was funny, kind, and a dedicated deputy.

Deputy Hartwick was killed the night of September 22nd when he was struck by a front loader while working a detail to protect the construction crews on I-275. The operator who struck him fled the scene and was caught after an extensive nine-hour manhunt.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said there was no way to make sense of such a senseless tragedy. “Mike died fighting the good fight, doing his job as cops do every single day across this country. Michael was one of the good guys, someone who fought the evil among us and saved others from harm’s way. And for that we are eternally grateful for Deputy Michael Hartwick.”

Deputy Hartwick’s death is the second line of duty death for the PCSO. In February 2021 Deputy Michael Magli was struck and killed by a drunk driver he was attempting to stop with stop sticks. “I stood here in this church 19 months ago and announced that we had experienced our first line of duty death in 109 years,” Sheriff Gualtieri said. He never imagined that another PCSO deputy would lose his life so soon.

Sergeant Michael Ferdon talked about Deputy Hartwick’s favorite part of law enforcement. “Mike was a traffic guy,” he said, adding that anyone who ever drove on McMullen Booth Road in the evening had likely seen him making traffic stops to deter speeders. His sergeant said that he didn’t care about giving tickets, but rather about making everybody’s commute safer. Deputy Hartwick was also a mentor to the newer members of the squad, sharing his wisdom. “Mike was a wealth of knowledge about not only the job but the trials of life,” his sergeant said. Deputy Hartwick also liked to talk with his sergeant about one of their favorite topics: retirement. Even though he loved his job, he was excited to build a place in Tennessee where he could ride his Indian motorcycle in the mountains.

His squad-mate Deputy Keith Amin talked about his sense of humor and friendliness, his big smile and loud laugh. “He had a great way of lightening the mood and set a positive example for the community he lived in.” Deputy Matthew Christie has known Deputy Hartwick for his entire career, ever since he started out at the Pinellas County Jail. When Deputy Hartwick went to patrol they spent time together on the Major Accident Investigation Team. “I’ll miss his laugh a lot, but I’ll also miss his work ethic,” Deputy Christie said. “He was 51 years old and he outworked most 20 year olds.”

Deputy Hartwick understood the need for compassion in law enforcement. Deputy Christie told a story of Deputy Hartwick volunteering to give a death notification – a part of the job so difficult that most deputies dread it. Deputy Hartwick, however, recognized that what is the most difficult is often the most important, and he wanted to make sure that a grieving family encountered a deputy who could be compassionate and consoling. Afterward, he talked with a new recruit about how to give death notifications, passing on his empathy to the next generation of deputies.

His fellow Mason Jeff Snyder said, “His smile lit the room. No matter if you knew him or didn’t, the minute you walked in and you saw Mike, you knew Mike. It was easy to know when he was near because from a block away you could hear that laugh, you could hear the jokes. He made everyone feel comfortable and feel welcome.”

Ted Grillo, a member of the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group with Deputy Hartwick, talked about his love of riding, and about the fun and challenging rides he would organize out West or in the Appalachians. He read comments from many members of the group, all praising Deputy Hartwick’s humor and skill. The consensus was that he was a joy to know, and a pleasure to ride with.

As friends, family, and fellow law enforcement officers gathered outside afterward, seven helicopters flew in a V formation over the crowd. As they neared, the second in formation veered away and flew into the distance, symbolizing our lost friend. A dispatcher called out Deputy Hartwick’s call sign, Sector 73 Charlie. When there was no response she announced his End of Watch and told the grieving crowd that Deputy Hartwick is now 10-7, the PCSO code for Out of Service.

Deputy Hartwick, a Navy veteran, will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He served his country and his county with honor and he will be missed and remembered forever.

To learn more about Deputy Hartwick, leave a note in his memory, or make a contribution to support the Hartwick family, visit our website.
Students Can Gain Unique Experience as
Sheriff’s Office Interns
 by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
Students enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program with an internship requirement can apply for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) internship program. Three times a year – in fall, spring, and summer semesters – Human Resources opens the application process. This semester there are internship opportunities in the Child Protection Investigation Division (CPID), the Department of Detention and Corrections (DDC), and the Threat Management Section.

The internships available vary based on an area’s operational needs. “Each semester we reach out to the different areas to see if they are interested in having an intern,” said Human Resources Specialist Sue Keim. In other semesters there might be openings in Patrol Operations, Human Resources, Fiscal Affairs, Information Technology, Forensic Science, or Public Relations.

There is generally only one position available for each opening, so the competition can be intense. Students must be at least 18 years old, have a minimum 2.5 GPA, and along with their application answer a series of background questions about things like drug use or contact with law enforcement. The applications are reviewed by Human Resources, then the most promising candidates are called in for a panel interview with subject matter experts. Finally, the top pick is given a contingent offer, pending a drug test and background investigation.

The application process is so thorough because the interns will be exposed to many of the same aspects of the sheriff’s office as our full-time employees. Interns in DDC will be working with inmates alongside deputies, while those in CPID will join investigators on calls about abuse and neglect. Interns will get invaluable hands-on experience in their selected field that few other places can offer. They may work with PCSO for 40 hours, 100 hours, or more than 200 hours, depending on the requirements of their academic program.

“The different areas of the agency are really good about setting up opportunities for the interns to learn and get experience,” Keim said. An intern in DDC, for example, may shadow employees on the jail floor, intake, the healthcare clinic, inmate records, classification, visitation, and other areas of the jail. They may be able to intern early in the morning or late at night. “Being a law enforcement agency and operating 24/7, we can be very accommodating of students’ school and work schedules.”

While there’s never a guarantee of employment, Keim said that several former interns have gone on to work for the PCSO. One notable example is Public Relations Specialist Verliz Williams. She was a mass communications major specializing in public relations and advertising, so when an internship opened in the Public Relations Bureau she was a perfect fit. “I started in 2019, and I poured my life into the internship – I treated it like a full-time job, getting my hands into everything.” As it happened, there was a job opening in the PR Bureau, so Williams filled in and wound up getting a lot of hands-on experience for that position. “It was life changing,” Williams said. By September she was hired in a part-time position at the PCSO, and soon afterward she was offered the full-time job of Public Relations Specialist where her daily tasks might include everything from coordinating programs like the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy to planning the annual Ride and Run with the Stars holiday fundraising event.

Williams said the fact that it is an unpaid internship shouldn’t dissuade applicants. The depth and breadth of unique work experience that the internship positions offer more than compensates for the lack of pay. “Once, I swore I would never do an unpaid internship, but I took a chance and it worked in my favor because I put in the time and effort. Unpaid internships can be a turnoff, but you can learn and experience things here at the PCSO that you could never experience somewhere else.”

If you or a student you know has an interest in an internship position, contact Human Resources at 727-582-6208, or see our website for a list of current openings and application information.
County K-9s Show Off at Graduation
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
Who’s a good boy? The four new K-9s representing the PCSO, the Clearwater Police Department, the Largo Police Department, and the Pinellas Park Police Department, that’s who! We recently celebrated the newest law enforcement K-9s at a fun public event that let the dogs show off their skills and get head pats from all their fans.