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Please join us in wishing Corporal Matt Aitken a speedy recovery after he was shot by a burglary suspect on the night of March 12, 2023. Deputies responded to a call of a vehicle burglary in unincorporated St. Petersburg. Corporal Aitken and K-9 Taco spotted the suspect near a church and began tracking him accompanied by Sergeant Jake Viano. They tracked into a fenced backyard where the suspect was waiting and opened fire on Corporal Aitken, striking him three times. The suspect then shot at Sergeant Viano, who returned fire, killing the suspect.
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PCSO Keeps Spring Break Beaches Safe
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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“It’s a balance,” said Deputy Travis Stanton, one of three St. Pete Beach Community Policing Officers (CPO) with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). “You don’t want to be known as the city that gives a citation to every tourist, but you also don’t want have a reputation as the wild city with unruly beaches either.” With Spring Break in full swing, Deputy Stanton and the other deputies who patrol the beaches in our contract cities are ready to make sure visitors and residents stay informed and stay safe on some of the most beautiful beaches in the county.
“I’d much rather educate someone than give them a citation for an ordinance violation,” Deputy Stanton said. “The point is to change their behavior. Because many beachgoers are from out of town – and because the laws vary from beach to beach – plenty of people legitimately don’t know what’s allowed and what isn’t.” For example, while St. Pete Beach allows smoking on the sand, Indian Rocks Beach doesn’t. Some ordinances aren’t completely black and white either. It is illegal to use a powered vehicle on most beaches, but e-bikes may be allowed if they are only operated in pedaling mode.
On a recent busy morning Deputy Stanton explained the rules to someone on an e-bike, and they understood and pedaled away at a safe pace through the throngs of beachgoers. The education comes with a caveat though. “I’ll take their information and write in the report that they were given a warning. Then if I or another deputy encounters them again doing the same thing they have no excuse. At that point a citation along with the fine might help get the point across.”
Deputy Stanton gets smiles and waves from almost everyone on the beach as he cruises by on his Polaris ATV that can take him easily through the deep sand. He stops to talk to a group of people in their twenties who are enjoying a morning White Claw by the surf and lets them know that even though they bought the beverage at the hotel bar they can only drink it in designated areas. They’re completely cooperative. They don’t care where they drink as long as they have a water view.
Still, alcohol is one of the main problems that Deputy Stanton encounters, and the drinking leads to a host of other violations or hazards. It can result in unruly behavior and fights, and also encourage people to make all kinds of bad choices, like swimming in seas that are too rough for their abilities. Alcohol can also make people dehydrated, and particularly with those who aren’t used to the Florida sun, heat, and humidity this can lead to heat stroke. Just last week EMS crews had to come out onto the beach to help a woman who passed out in the sand.
Most of Deputy Stanton’s activity is self-initiated – he patrols the beaches looking for violations or anyone who needs help. But when he is dispatched to a call, the most common ones are 911 hang-ups or open lines. These calls could be almost anything, from a felony in progress to a child playing with the phone. On the beach though most 911 hang-ups are accidental and stem from people trying to see their screen in bright light or shoving their phone in a beach bag and accidentally calling 911. Deputies can hear active 911 calls in real time on their laptops, and Deputy Stanton said that most of the time he can hear the sound of waves, seagulls, and kids playing in the background of an open 911 line. Nonetheless, every 911 call needs to be investigated. Technology can pinpoint the approximate location of the call’s origin so Deputy Stanton will arrive on-scene and make sure there’s no actual emergency.
The hardest calls he has to face are missing children. “When this happens we call out all resources: marine, flight, lots of deputies.” Even though nearly every time this happens the child has simply wandered away in the crowd and is usually found building a sandcastle farther down the beach, the terrible possibilities fill everyone’s heads. Were they abducted? Swept out to sea? It is every parent’s worst nightmare and Deputy Stanton has to focus on being a calm and reassuring presence in the middle of the crisis. Luckily, every missing child call he’s been involved with has ended happily, but each one is harrowing.
Pinellas County beaches are entering their most active season when throngs arrive to enjoy Spring Break. Deputy Stanton wants everybody to have a good time on the beautiful beaches he patrols… and a safe time too.
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Chain of Command: Lieutenant
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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With great power comes great… paperwork. As we’ve moved along the chain of command through corporal and sergeant we’ve seen them working less and less in the field and more in the office. Lieutenant – which you will recognize by the gold star badge and a gold bar on each shoulder – is the next rank up, and a lieutenant’s duties include a much higher share of administrative work. It varies depending on where they are in the agency, but Lieutenant Tom Montgomery of the Special Operations Division – Special Services Section, says, “Similarities include managing personnel, scheduling training, daily staffing, and approving overtime or time off.” Beyond that, a lieutenant will get involved in any extraordinary events that require more experienced oversight. “A lieutenant will take command of high-risk calls or unusual situations which need a higher-level response or decision making.”
Having a chain of command increases efficiency and establishes responsibility. In general, if a member has a question or an issue they bring it to their immediate supervisor. Just like in the military, it can be considered a breach of etiquette to skip a link in the chain of command. Shift Commander Lieutenant Matthew Thornton says, “The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has a set of protocols and procedures that dictate how members communicate with each other and the public. These protocols ensure professionalism, accountability, and respect among members.” Officially, members address each other by their formal rank titles, but this can vary depending on the situation. A lieutenant and deputy who have known one another for years may be on a first name basis when no one is around but switch to rank and last name in front of the public or people higher in their chain.
A lieutenant is responsible for a lot of people, assets, and resources. Lieutenant Chrissy Betsinger, a shift lieutenant in Central Division in the jail, supervises 45 members. “I liken the shift lieutenant position to that of a boat captain. I am responsible for steering the ‘ship’ and ensuring a safe and smooth journey every time we are on duty. If we get off course or encounter obstacles, I am tasked with getting us back on track.”
A lieutenant will use their skill and experience to make law enforcement as safe as possible. Lieutenant Betsinger’s area has both housing units and booking, but she spends the most time in the booking area of the jail “because it is extremely busy, and things are always ‘popping off.’ As the night goes on bars close and arrestees often show up rowdy, intoxicated, and looking for an altercation. It is my job to ensure that we are making all attempts to quell disturbances and effectively communicate with the inmates. Safety for both staff and inmates is paramount.”
Leadership roles carry a heavy responsibility, but also give a member the chance to have a positive effect on the agency and its members. “The higher your rank, the more impact you have on the organization,” said Lieutenant Thornton. “You are now responsible for the success or failure of your subordinates and must take responsibility for any mistakes or shortcomings.”
Learning to be an effective lieutenant is a process. “Stepping into a leadership role is not something that happens overnight,” Lieutenant Montgomery said. “There is that transition I learned from managing people to actually leading them; from not just being that disciplinarian to someone who mentors and coaches their subordinates into being future leaders themselves.” As you’ve seen throughout this series so far, a large component of leadership is mentorship.
Communication both up and down the chain of command is important for effective leadership. “I ensure that the appropriate information flows in both directions so proper decisions are made and my supervisor is kept abreast of pertinent information,” said Lieutenant Thornton.
“I usually make a point to meet with or at least communicate with the members under me – at least the sergeants – daily,” said Lieutenant Montgomery. “Because some of them work an opposite shift from me I will adjust my schedule to accommodate this.”
Lieutenant Betsinger believes in keeping in touch with the needs of the people who work for her. “An effective leader is only as strong and successful as their crew. I have a great crew – they make my job easy.” She takes pride in the fact that she loses very few people at bid change, the time when members can request to go to a different shift or location. “Most members stay on my assigned shift bid after bid. To me, the loyalty of my shift’s members reflects contentment, and gets me thinking that maybe I’m doing something right out here!”
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Pinellas County K-9s Laid to Rest
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
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Seven K-9s from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the Pinellas Park Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department were laid to rest in a moving ceremony at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens. K-9 handlers from around the county gathered to support the handlers who were interring their faithful partners, and more than a few grew misty-eyed as they talked about their dogs.
“Enjoy every minute of this,” Sergeant Claudio Dimundo told handlers as he talked about how fast his years with K-9 Odin flew by. He emphasized the bond with Odin as he told stories about a few of their more than 100 career catches. “You spend more time with your K-9 partner than with your spouse or children.”
Corporal Paul Martin talked about choosing a name for his K-9 Jaeger. “It means ‘hunter’ in German and that’s exactly what he turned out to be.” Jaeger had around 200 career catches. Corporal Martin spoke of the hazards of the job. “They say being a K-9 handler is the most dangerous job, but it’s more dangerous for the dogs because they are always leading the way.” Once when jumping over a fence Jaeger was impaled on a piece of rebar. Despite the injury his motivation was so high that he was back on the job just 10 days after surgery and after only 30 days caught a homicide suspect. After a long career, Corporal Martin loved seeing Jaeger turn into just a regular pet dog again, riding with his wife on ‘neighborhood patrols’ and taking vacations in the Keys.
K-9 Sergeant Mike Kilian, who led the ceremony, talked about Deputy Steve Elrod’s dog Jak. “He was an amazing police dog with big drive, and definitely one of the craziest dogs I’ve ever known.” Of the bond between handlers and their partners Sergeant Kilian said, “We care about them so much because they care about us so much.” On the sidelines, current handlers looked affectionately down at their dogs.
Captain Randy Corlett worked in K-9 for 20 years and has four partners buried in the K-9 cemetery. On that day he was laying Chuck to rest. Chuck’s name was his family’s choice, not his. “Usually handlers get to choose their dog’s name – but not when you have girls.” When he was picking out Chuck he liked him right away, despite the fact that he was a little older than most dogs they get to train. “He was cool. He was big and strong, just a little old.” He took a chance and it paid off. Chuck wasn’t a barker. “He didn’t have to bark at a door – his idea was just to rip it off its hinges.”
Chuck joins dozens of other Pinellas County K-9s, their headstones decorated with flags and a few of the tennis balls they loved to chase in life. Looking at Chuck’s gravesite, Captain Corlett said, “Now he can hang out with his friends.”
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Community Grant Applications Are Open |
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Every year the Sheriff’s Citizens Association funds local initiatives through its Community Grant Program. Awards of up to $1,000 will be given to programs that empower youth, support children and families, or to programs founded by young people. Funds for the award come from Citizens Association members’ annual dues and donations throughout the year. Last year the Citizens Association gave a total of $15,000 to worthy initiatives.
The Sheriff’s Citizens Association is a networking group of people who are dedicated to supporting and learning more about the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). A committee votes on the winners. If your organization could use a little help in helping the community, please apply here. The application deadline is March 31, 2023.
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