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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

FIRST

Summer camp offers ‘real-world’ look at forensics

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Some local high schoolers will get a chance to get an up-close look at the many components of forensic investigations — via a weeklong summer camp in Land O’ Lakes hosted by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and FIRST (Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactics).

The FIRST Forensic Summer Camp is scheduled for July 20 through July 24. Each camp day runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lessons and demonstrations will take place outdoors, as well as inside training and read-off rooms at the Pasco Detention Center, 20101 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The camp is open to high schoolers ages 15 to 18. Enrollment is limited to 24 students. Students must ensure transportation to and from the camp each day.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office/FIRST (Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactics) will host a weeklong forensic summer camp for high schoolers from July 20 through July 24, in Land O’ Lakes. (File)

The camp ultimately will give students the chance to observe many aspects of the criminal justice system in action.

Students will receive hands-on learning and an opportunity to participate in an outdoor mock crime scene/field recovery.

Additionally, students will participate in forensic laboratory exercises to learn the science and techniques used by forensic investigators. The camp also includes demonstrations of K9s and unmanned aerial systems, or drones.

Some of the topics and activities covered throughout the week include:

  • Overview of the basic human anatomy and how to differentiate human from nonhuman bones
  • Introduction to drones, their ability to assist in mapping outdoor crime scenes, as well as a drone demonstration
  • Specific techniques used to recreate a crime scene and/or a suspected burial
  • Introduction to human remains detector dogs and how they can assist in located a buried body or surface remains
  • Basic crime scene investigation techniques
  • How to conduct a forensic archaeological dig in order to recover skeletonized remains, then presenting field recovery findings to fellow campers

Overseeing the camp is FIRST forensic science administrator Austin Polonitza, who holds a master’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in science and forensics studies, with a focus on human identification and trauma analysis. He joined the sheriff’s office in 2019, after working as a graduate-level lab assistant at FGCU.

Polonitza said the camp will give teens “real-world experience” into forensic investigations, including the meticulous detail and group work needed complete a task, like finding or identifying a missing skeleton.

Unlike what’s often portrayed on television dramas, Polonitza explained forensic work and solving a case goes well beyond technology and 3D renderings, and it doesn’t come together as quickly as some people might think.

FIRST forensic science administrator Austin Polonitza is organizing a weeklong a forensic summer camp in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

“The CSI effect is real and definitely excites a lot of people about the job,” Polonitza said, “but unfortunately these things don’t get solved in 40 minutes.”

Other instructors leading campers throughout the week include Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney, associate professor and program leader for forensic studies at Florida Gulf Coast University; Pasco Sheriff forensic supervisor K9 handler Sue Miller; Pasco Sheriff head K9 forensic trainer Jimmy Hall; and, representatives from Quiet Professionals, a Tampa-based government and commercial defense contractor specializing in cutting-edge drone technology.

Polonitza said the opportunity for high schoolers to learn from various professionals and get hands-on experience in forensics and related disciplines “will undoubtedly give them some discovery and direction of what they would like to pursue in their future careers, or even academic degrees.”

Polonitza himself became interested in crime scene investigations as a youth growing up in the Fort Myers, noting he “always had a drive for puzzles, mystery, kind of uncovering things as you go along and follow the clues.”

He realized forensics was a viable professional path, when the Lee County Sheriff’s Office made a presentation at a high school career day.

“I kind of fell in love with forensic anthropology and the hands-on, practical side of things where I could look at a piece of bone, identify a landmark, and be able to tell which side of the body it came from and which bone it is. …It excites me about the field, and I want to share that to others who have interest in forensics, as well.”

Polonitza said the first-of-its-kind forensic summer camp will be held annually, with future demonstrations planned at the FIRST campus, as more buildings and infrastructure come online over the next couple years. There are also plans to develop outreach programs for kindergarten through 12th grade schools and collaborate with other local universities, he said.

The FIRST campus is part of the sheriff’s office enterprise fund. It is promoted as a forensics and training facility that strives to become a collaborative resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement,  serving as a one-stop shop to improve crime scene operations and investigations in the realm of homicides, missing persons cases and so on.

For cost and enrollment information and for other details, email or visit floridafirsttraining.org/#/camp.

Published July 08, 2020

Pasco Sheriff named to Homeland Security advisory role

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Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco has added another leadership responsibility to his plate —an advisory role with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Pasco Sheriff is one of seven new members named to the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) by acting secretary Chad Wolf. The announcement came from the federal agency last month.

The HSAC is a Department of Homeland Security federal advisory committee that provides the secretary with independent, informed recommendations, and advice on a variety of homeland security issues. It’s comprised of national policy makers, representatives from state, local, and tribal governments, emergency, and first responder communities, academia, and the private sector. The 35-member council is chaired by former CIA and FBI Director Judge William Webster.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco was recently appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council. The role provides the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with independent, informed recommendations, and advice on a variety of homeland security issues. (File)

With the appointment, Nocco becomes the only elected official from Florida to serve on the council.

In an interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Nocco called the selection “a humbling honor,” that will give the area “a seat at the table” when it comes to providing and receiving input on homeland security-related matters — such as a hurricane, cyberattack, power grid shutdown and so on.

“For the whole Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida, I’m very fortunate to be in this position to help out and have our voices heard,” said Nocco, noting the role goes beyond law enforcement issues. “With Homeland Security, it is a very large and very broad organization. When you dig down into it, you realize, from transportation, to communications, to energy, this is a very large organization.”

Nocco added it’s likewise beneficial to now have a direct line to “the highest levels” of Homeland Security if a crisis arises regionally or statewide. “It’s not like I call the secretary of Homeland Security every night, but at the same time, there is that openness of if I need to get a message across, we’re able to connect through staff to the secretary very quickly,” he said.

In addition to participating in full HSAC committee meetings, Nocco is serving on an HSAC subcommittee that focuses on countering violent extremism groups, particularly in exposure to American youth. Some examples include white supremacy groups, terrorist organizations, cults “or any other ideology that promotes hate and disconnect,” said Nocco.

The subcommittee, meeting roughly every two or three weeks, is “basically going all the way upstream to prevent these kids form getting involved in these groups,” Nocco said.

One way to do that, the sheriff said, is ensuring parents and guardians warn their children about what is on the Internet and on social media. He indicated the issue is more important now, as kids are out of school for the summer and possibly stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, Nocco  acknowledged the recent HSAC appointment ties in well with forthcoming developments at the forensics research and training center project in Land O’ Lakes known as FIRST, Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics.

With that project, the sheriff explained there’s an opportunity for more partnerships with Homeland Security in the way of innovation, technology and instructional programs. “I think it’s just going to strengthen what we’re doing here in Pasco County,” he said.

Nocco has been Pasco Sheriff since 2011, when he was appointed by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Nocco was elected to the position in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. He just won another term.

Previously, he served with the Philadelphia Public School Police, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, he was a first responder to the attacks of 9/11 and the Washington D.C. sniper incident.

Other HSAC appointed members include James Carafano, vice president of The Heritage Foundation’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy; James Fuller, executive vice president of Hill + Knowlton Strategies; Hans Miller, CEO and co-founder of Airside; Cynthia Renaud, chief of police for the city of Santa Monica; Mark Weatherford, founding partner at Aspen Chartered; and Brian White, global security practice head for DBO Partners.

Published June 24, 2020

New K-9 training complex breaks ground

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office soon will have a full-fledged facility dedicated to the tactical training of its K-9 units.

Ground was broken during a Nov. 15 ceremony for the Helen A. Rich K9 Complex — as part of the larger forensics research and training center project in Land O’ Lakes known as FIRST, an acronym for Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics.

Located at the intersection of Lucy Dobies Road and Central Boulevard off U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, the K9 Complex is scheduled to have:

  • A 10,000-square-foot indoor training facility
  • A veterinary science center
  • A kennel for 40 dogs
  • An outdoor obstacle course and agility field
  • A rubble pile for search and rescue training

The K9 Complex will be completed in phases, with some features finished as soon as late 2019, according to Pasco Sheriff’s Capt. Justin Ross, who is overseeing the project.

A Nov. 15 groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction for the Helen A. Rich K9 Complex. The $5 million project is expected to be complete in phases, beginning in fall 2019. (Kevin Weiss)

The project alone is expected to cost about $5 million, not including other FIRST facilities, according to the sheriff’s office.

In addition to teaching standard K-9 tactics, the training grounds will be used to help develop advanced K-9 techniques in airport security, explosives and drug detection, and search and recovery.

It will also include an academia-based research component focused on the health and wellness of working and retired police dogs.

“It’s kind of that synergistic partnership between researchers and practitioners, where we want them to really improve upon the use of working dogs and dog safety,” Ross explained.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco described the forthcoming K-9 project as “special” and “absolutely incredible.”

Nocco explained: “It’s really about finding ways to make us safer, make our communities safer, and it’s about building a legacy for the next generation.

“One day somebody will be saved because of the training that goes on there (at the complex),” he predicted.

Besides the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the K-9 facilities will also be used by other local and regional law enforcement agencies. “We want to make sure we bring as many people as we can for the K-9s,” the sheriff said.

The K9 Complex is named after Wrigley gum heiress and Odessa resident Helen Rich, who donated more than $480,000 toward the construction of the project, according to the sheriff’s office.

In a brief statement at the ceremony, Rich said the gift was a “no-brainer” because the project goes to support both dogs and law enforcement.

“Why did I do it? Because God told me to. That’s it,” the 70-year-old Rich said, of the donation.

Ground was broken in September on the entire FIRST campus.

A resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement in the entire state, FIRST will serve as an aid to improve crime scene operations and investigations in the realm of homicides, missing persons cases and so on.

At its build out, the multiple-building forensics research center campus will have a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage space, where work will be done in the fields of legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

There’s also potential for training in the use of robotics, drones and data processing in the arena of public safety and workforce training, among other fields.

The FIRST campus received $4.3 million in state funds this year. It is expected to also be complete in late 2019.

Published November 21, 2018