By Kyle LoJacono
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office conducted the largest roundup of criminals in the county history, putting 244 people wanted on 302 warrants behind bars.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said he and his department wanted to send a clear message to anyone who breaks the law.
“We want criminals to know we are going to go out there and hunt them down,” Nocco said.
The crackdown happened Oct. 11-13. It included more than 100 law enforcement officers from the county office, the city police forces across Pasco as well as state and federal staffers in a unified effort called Operation Law and Order.
“I promise you there were no egos here,” Nocco said. “It didn’t matter what badge you wore.”
The operation searched out those wanted for crimes committed within Pasco to those wanted on warrants from elsewhere in the state dating back as far as 1988.
The arrests ranged from people wanted for dealing drugs, which also turned up a pound of marijuana and various pills, to those accused of aggravated assault and battery. No one was injured during the roundup. Some even turned themselves in after learning about the county-wide sweep.
The sheriff’s office still has 22,000 outstanding warrants. Nocco said they get about 1,000 new ones each month, but can only serve around 800, creating the backlog.
Nocco said he predicts his increased budget for the new fiscal year, which allowed him to hire 23 new staffers, will help reduce the stacks of unserved warrants. He also promised more crackdowns in the future.
“This is not a one-time thing,” Nocco said. “This is a continuing process.”
