The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Chris Nocco

He helped catch criminals, solve crimes for 50 years

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Det. Roger Cockerill — who was instrumental in some of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s  largest investigations — has retired from a law enforcement career that spanned a half-century.

In Pasco, his work included investigations involving illegal drug trafficking, casino style gambling, prostitution and human trafficking.

But his career in law enforcement began in February 1967 at the Suffolk County Police Department, in Long Island, New York.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office Det. Roger Cockerill’s lengthy law enforcement career was celebrated at a special retirement ceremony at Grace Family Church’s Land O’ Lakes campus. Cockerill spent a combined 50 years in law enforcement between the Suffolk County Police Dept. in New York and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

He officially called it quits last month, and was honored during a special retirement ceremony at the law enforcement agency’s quarterly swearing-in ceremony in December at Grace Family Church’s Land O’ Lakes campus.

More than 40 friends and family members gathered, along with dozens of other law enforcement officials — representing his native New York, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and other Tampa Bay agencies.

Now 75, Cockerill spent the first 20 years of his policing career in Suffolk County.

After graduating from the police academy, he started as a patrolman and worked his way up to the rank of detective in the Third Precinct in Bayshore, Long Island. He retired from that role in 1987.

Shortly after, Cockerill moved his family to Pasco County, where he joined the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and continued his calling in law enforcement — for another 30-plus years.

He began working for the local agency on April 24, 1989, as a patrol deputy. Most recently, he worked as a detective in vice and narcotics.

He was involved in undercover operations, and served as the subject matter expert in cases involving surreptitious video and audio recordings for evidentiary and undercover officer safety.

He was involved in digital surveillance techniques to assist the agency’s Major Crimes Unit with solicitation to commit homicide investigations, as well as threats to public officials.

He also worked extensively with the agency’s federal partners by assisting task forces with undercover and digital investigations.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco characterized Cockerill as a good detective and an overall great person, during the special ceremony.

“Roger’s definitely one of our gems,” Nocco said, describing the longtime detective as “a man amongst men.”

The sheriff said whenever he saw Cockerill at a crime scene, he made it a point to walk up and talk to him.

“You just want to be around him,” Nocco said.

Cockerill remained calm in high-stress situations, Nocco said, explaining, “he’s seen it, been there, and done that.”

Nocco also praised Cockerill’s fitness.

The 6-foot-6 detective frequently passed the agency’s physical assessment test (PAT), with 3 minutes or 3 minutes or more to spare, Nocco said.

“When somebody would say, ‘I can’t believe we’ve got to do that PAT test,’ I’m like, ‘Look at Roger, he’s out there kicking all your butts.’,” the sheriff said.

Nocco said Cockerill’s achievement is unique.

“I don’t think in any of our lives again, we’re going to meet or see another individual that met this accomplishment — 50 years in law enforcement. There are many things in life that repeat itself, I don’t think this will ever.”

Besides honoring the law enforcement officer for his service, speakers also poked some fun at the detective.

Known for his love of animals — even squirrels and raccoons — Nocco teasingly referred to Cockerill as “Noah.”

But that wasn’t his only nickname.

He was also known as “Big Bird,” which stuck from his days in Suffolk County.

Retired Suffolk County Police Department officer Al DeMeo explained how that came to be.

It was sometime after Easter in the early 1970s, and DeMeo and Cockerill were both working in the warrant unit, in the basement of the Third Precinct, DeMeo recalled.

Notified that a fresh warrant had come in, Cockerill arrived at the the office somewhat disheveled, hair still wet from a shower and comb in his teeth, DeMeo said.

What caught everyone’s attention though, was the way that Cockerill was dressed, DeMeo said.

He was wearing all yellow — from his pants and sport jacket, to his dress shirt and tie.

“I said, ‘You look just like Big Bird,’” DeMeo said, referring to the famed Sesame Street character.

“Well, it’s 50 years later, and Roger’s still affectionately known as Big Bird — and always will be.”

Pasco Sheriff Cpt. Bill Davis also shared fond memories of working 12 years alongside Cockerill in the agency’s Narcotics Unit.

Both being from the same area of southeast New York, they clicked right away, Davis said.

“I never had so much fun going to the job (with Cockerill). I looked forward going to the job,” Davis said. He also noted that Cockerill kept a Sesame Street Big Bird toy figure in his patrol car.

He also said Cockerill was particular about his coffee — it had to be “light and sweet” — and that with the detective, “nothing started until we had coffee.”

When Cockerill was summoned to speak at the ceremony, he received a standing ovation and was serenaded with bagpipes.

In true “old school” fashion, Cockerill kept his comments brief, mainly showing his appreciation to his bosses and co-workers.

“I love the job. I love everybody,” Cockerill said.

He did shed some light, though, on what it takes to maintain a lengthy career in law enforcement.

“You’ve just got to keep going, work hard, be honest, treat everybody equally,” he said.

He also added: “If someone gets up in your face and is nasty, best thing to do is to turn around and walk away. That’ll annoy ‘em more than fighting with ‘em.”

He also offered some advice to the group of freshly sworn-in Pasco Sheriff’s deputies:

“When you snap that pistola on, you’re not going to work — you’re going to the job. Remember that. And, stick together. Always stick together.”

Cockerill may be retired now, but he won’t be venturing too far from the sheriff’s office.

He plans to join the agency as a volunteer.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office Det. Roger Cockerill’s 50 years in law enforcement:

  • Began service with Suffolk County Police Dept. (NY): Feb. 6, 1967; Patrolman
  • Retired from Suffolk County Police Dept. (NY): Feb. 23, 1987; Detective
  • Began Service with Pasco Sheriff’s Office: April 24, 1989; Patrol Deputy
  • Retired from Pasco Sheriff’s Office: December, 2019; Detective

Published January 01, 2020

Bilirakis helps Pasco secure $500,000 safe schools grant

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has helped Pasco County Schools secure a $500,000 federal grant to help keep students and teachers safe.

The funding is part of the STOP School Violence Act, which Bilirakis supported and which became law last year.

Bilirakis advocated for Pasco to receive this grant after speaking with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, members of the Pasco County School Board, teachers and parents, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.

The funds will be used to enable Pasco Schools, law enforcement partners, and mental health providers to facilitate multidisciplinary threat assessments while developing behavioral threat assessment teams to intervene and mitigate potential risks, the release says.

Funding will build on current community engagement by supporting a dedicated school threat assessment coordinator and certified juvenile criminal intelligence analyst.

Pasco County Schools is the 10th largest, among the state’s 67 school districts.

In the release, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said “we want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in protecting our children in Pasco County.

“Funding for threat assessments is one of the best methods for prevention and to help a child in distress before they become a threat to others or themselves.

“We look forward to further partnering with Pasco County Schools and Superintendent Browning on this important initiative,” Nocco added.

Pasco County Schools is one of just eight school districts in the country to receive this competitive grant.

Bilirakis also is the author of the PROTECT KIDS Act, which would provide additional federal funding for School Resource Officers in the nation’s largest school districts, such as Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Published October 30, 2019

Bilirakis helps Pasco secure $500,000 safe schools grant

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has helped Pasco County Schools secure a $500,000 federal grant to help keep students and teachers safe.

The funding is part of the STOP School Violence Act, which Bilirakis supported and which became law last year.

Bilirakis advocated for Pasco to receive this grant after speaking with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, members of the Pasco County School Board, teachers and parents, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.

The funds will be used to enable Pasco Schools, law enforcement partners, and mental health providers to facilitate multidisciplinary threat assessments while developing behavioral threat assessment teams to intervene and mitigate potential risks, the release says.

Funding will build on current community engagement by supporting a dedicated school threat assessment coordinator and certified juvenile criminal intelligence analyst.

Pasco School Schools is the 10th largest, among the state’s 67 school districts.

In the release, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said “we want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in protecting our children in Pasco County.

“Funding for threat assessments is one of the best methods for prevention and to help a child in distress before they become a threat to others or themselves.

“We look forward to further partnering with Pasco County Schools and Superintendent Browning on this important initiative,” Nocco added.

Pasco County is one of just eight school districts in the country to receive this competitive grant.

Bilirakis also is the author of the PROTECT KIDS Act, which would provide additional federal funding for School Resource Officers in the nation’s largest school districts, such as Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Published October 23, 2019

At the intersection of law enforcement, mental health

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An ‘All hands on deck approach’ is needed to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

That means greater levels of state and federal funding, and enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral practitioners.

At least that was the message delivered by a group of experts during a recent criminal justice panel discussion titled “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health.”

Speakers focused on the broad array of challenges facing today’s criminal justice professionals and the current trends, as well as future initiatives that shape law enforcement’s engagement when dealing with mental health issues.

Panelists underscored the significance of the problem on a national scale.

More than 100 students, faculty, law enforcement officials and community members gathered for the Oct. 7 discussion, hosted by Saint Leo University.

There’s no question, the challenges are far-reaching.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese introduces an Oct. 7 criminal justice panel discussion at Saint Leo University. Panelists, from left: Dr. Christopher Cronin, professor of psychology; Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, associate department chair of criminal justice and professor of criminal justice; Michelle Allen, instructor of criminal justice; Kim Senger, social work professional; and, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. (Courtesy of Mary McCoy, Saint Leo University)

Approximately 43.8 million adults in the United States experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The organization also reports 46% of Americans will suffer a mental illness in their lifetime.

Panelist Dr. Christopher Cronin, a Saint Leo professor of psychology, cited an American Psychological Association report that shows there are now 42,000 suicides annually in the U.S. That marks the highest rate in 28 years, and is up 24% percent since 1999.

“This is clearly an epidemic,” Cronin said.

For law enforcement, it has made a tough job even tougher, as officers work the frontlines of the mental health crisis.

One study shows that a quarter of the people shot by police are in a mental health crisis at the time when the use of force occurred, Cronin said.

However, Cronin added, law enforcement is not necessarily to blame.

“They have been forced to do a job — become mental health professionals — for which they have not been trained,” the professor said. “Officers are trained to take control of a situation and to give lawful commands, however, a person in a mental health crisis cannot conform their behavior and a situation escalates.”

Some noted incidents have included “suicide by cop.”

This phrase refers to a situation in which an individual deliberately behaves in a threatening manner, with intent to provoke a lethal response from a public safety or law enforcement officer.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, another panelist, understands the challenges facing his deputies.

Law enforcement seeks to mitigate threat situations with bullhorns and less lethal devices, but encounters quickly can escalate, when a person who is suicidal attacks or threatens to attack police or citizens, Nocco said.

“Law enforcement officers are being put in a tough position,” the sheriff said. “We always say, ‘The safety of the citizens around that person and the deputy has to be paramount,’ because if they’re charging at you…the reality is — we have families, we want to go home, too.”

Michelle Allen, a Saint Leo criminal justice undergraduate instructor, reiterated points raised by her fellow panelists, Cronin and Nocco.

“How are you as an officer supposed to recognize that this person is suffering from mental illness? How can you look at somebody in the five seconds and say, ‘Oh, he’s mentally ill…’ He’s fighting you. What do you do, because you want to go home, too,” Allen said.

Before venturing into higher education, Allen spent two decades in Georgia, working for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office and Smyrna Police Department, respectively.

Many arrests occur when people are in a mental health crisis or breakdown, and have either gone off their medications or have not yet been diagnosed, Allen said.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office estimates as many as 20% of its calls for service are mental health-related.

In an initiative to “get ahead of the curve,” the agency has established a specialized Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT). That team is trained to keep tabs on the county’s residents who have been referred on repeated occasions for involuntary evaluations, under the state’s Baker Act.

However, Allen noted, if a crime has been committed, the mentally ill still must be treated like other suspects, in the interest of officer and public safety.

“These people are not necessarily violent, not necessarily criminal,” she said, but she added,  “you want to definitely get that person in handcuffs…and then determine what’s going on with them.”

More frequent encounters between police and the mentally ill can be traced to the deinstitutionalization or closing of mental health hospitals in the last 60 years or so, according to Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, another panelist, who is the associate department chair of criminal justice and a criminal justice professor at Saint Leo.

The number of available psychiatric beds has plummeted, according to data cited by Walker-Pickett.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that today there is roughly one psychiatric bed for nearly 3,000 Americans, while in 1955, there was one bed for every 300 Americans, Walker-Pickett said.

Facility closures have resulted in an increase of people with mental illness winding up in America’s jail and prison systems, she added.

She explained: “It resulted in putting a lot of these people on the streets, it resulted in having people at home who weren’t getting the treatment that they needed, and as a result, sometimes there were interactions with law enforcement. You see that happening more and more — these interactions with law enforcement.”

Walker-Pickett also pointed out alternative treatment wasn’t appropriately provided in lieu of the closing of mental health facilities, particularly in low-income communities “who don’t have access to affordable or appropriate health care.”

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this panel discussion in first story, below.

Panelists suggest solutions

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Panelists at a discussion at Saint Leo University had some thoughts for ways to divert some offenders from the criminal justice system to mental health courts, instead.

That way they could get treatment for their issues, rather than jail or prison time.

Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, a panelist during an Oct. 7 session called “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health,” advocates increased federal spending to expand available mental health treatment options.

Other panelists agreed more resources are need to provide mental health services.

Members of the law enforcement, social work, mental health, and education communities joined Saint Leo University students, faculty and staff for a panel discussion on the intersection of law enforcement and mental health. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Florida’s mental health spending ranks 49th of 50 states, at approximately $40 per capita annually, said Dr. Christopher Cronin, a psychology professor at Saint Leo University.

“It’s hard to get a good dinner at a restaurant for $40,” Cronin said.

“So when you vote—and you should — find out what your candidate thinks about the mental health crisis and their record on funding for mental health.”

Cronin specifically called for an expansion in crisis intervention and de-escalation training, to better prepare law enforcement agencies to tackle mental health crises.

Some of these mental health training programs are offered by behavioral health volunteers pro bono, Cronin said.

“It’s a good start, but we need more funding,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, also a panelist, expressed confidence that the county could  receive more funding from an ongoing multibillion dollar civil lawsuit against five opioid manufacturers.

He suggested those dollars be used to help set up “mental health ERs,” or quasi walk-in clinics, to serve people facing a mental health crisis.

Nocco put it this way: “If you broke your arm or twisted your leg, you know where to go. If you have a mental health crisis, what do you do? You call 911, but that’s not providing help.”

The sheriff also called for increasing both awareness and resources regarding mental health issues in law enforcement circles. He thinks it should be similar to the way the military has brought about a more open dialogue regarding post-traumatic stress.

“Nobody ever talks about that in law enforcement,” Nocco said. “The law enforcement officers will not readily say, ‘Hey, I need help, I need to talk to somebody…’”

Panelist Kim Senger, a masters level social worker who’s worked as a therapist in both Canada and Florida, said law enforcement and social workers need to become more effective partners to help at-risk youth and troubled students in school systems.

He emphasized the need for more youth intervention and counseling, to deal “with issues before they get out of hand.”

“We have to look at is as a holistic approach,” he said. “If you can’t find them, if you can’t connect to them, there’s going to be trouble, they will be troubled.”

The experts also had ideas for how average people can play a role to help reduce the nation’s mental health crisis.

“You do not need to be a mental health professional to have a significant impact on someone,” Cronin said.

“Find someone who looks like they need a friend. The person having lunch alone, the classmate who never seemed to quite fit in, the colleague who doesn’t seem to blend.

“What I would tell you to do is befriend them, go out of your comfort zone, join them for lunch or ask them to join you. No one should eat alone if they don’t want to,” Cronin said.

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this topic in the featured story, above.

Pasco Sheriff beefs up mental health services

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Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco is ramping up efforts to address mental health issues, in his agency’s daily work.

The sheriff explained his team’s approach to those attending the September breakfast meeting of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Nocco said mental health issues are expanding in a way that affects public safety, during remarks to dozens of chamber members at the Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco was the featured guest speaker at The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce September breakfast meeting at the Golden Corral in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss)

About 11 percent of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s calls for service last year were mental-health related, which equates to approximately 19,000 calls.

But, Nocco estimates the figure is even higher because the agency data doesn’t take into account calls that are related to overdoses, runaways, domestic violence linked to addiction and substance abuse, and other incidents possibly rooted in mental illness.

“I can tell you,” Nocco said, “roughly 20 percent of our calls for service are mental-health related.

“The meat of what we deal with is mental health and substance abuse issues,” Nocco said, “so what we’re doing is identifying the highest usage of individuals that have mental health issues and are consistently calling us.”

In an attempt “to get ahead of the curve,” the sheriff’s office has implemented some new approaches, Nocco said.

Foremost among them is the agency’s new Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT), he said. The unit consists of 15 sworn personnel and Baycare Behavioral Health case managers, aimed to better serve the needs of people facing significant mental health issues.

The team’s primary task is to keep tabs on individuals who have been held involuntarily in a mental health treatment facility for up to 72 hours, through a state law known as the Baker Act. They focus on approximately 500 people who are Baker Act repeats.

The team uses a proactive approach that includes frequent visitations, welfare checks, expedited behavioral health resources and criminal justice diversion programs.

By getting to the “root issues” of problems and offering resources, the unit will help reduce the number of calls to 911 — thereby enabling patrol deputies to respond more quickly to urgent or violent calls, Nocco said.

Another unit component includes threat assessments and interventions for troubled students in the school system  —  as a measure to prevent school violence acts, or school shootings.

The county’s most at-risk kids are identified with assistance from school resource officers and the agency’s Child Protective Investigations Divisions, the sheriff said.

The at-risk kids typically include runaways, students with frequent school changes, those with prior run-ins with law enforcement or those with parents under child welfare investigations, he said.

The idea is to provide early intervention to help prevent future problems, Nocco said.

“I’m not saying we’re going to be perfect. There’s always that lone wolf, that one individual that just decides to do something, but, for the majority of people, if we can be smart about how we operate, we’re going to be way more successful.”

In Nocco’s opinion, the general rise of mental illness is tied to the proliferation of the digital age and the rise of social media. He displayed his own smartphone and said: “These are destroying us.”

The sheriff also noted that his agency is working to reduce the recidivism rate for inmates at the Land O’ Lakes detention center.

To that end, the jail has various inmate labor programs and vocational programs, including a welding program that allows inmates to get certified skills, with the aim of equipping them for jobs upon their release.

Said Nocco: “There are people that have addictions or people that have gone through problems  that made bad decisions, but now this is the first time in the jail that they actually get up at 4 o’clock in the morning, they’re actually doing work, they’re actually going, ‘Huh, if I do this I can succeed.’”

The sheriff also shared some other information about his department, including:

  • A memorandum of understanding his agency has with the City of Zephyrhills to operate a portion of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in emergencies and natural disasters, such as hurricanes. The agency will use the location to distribute various resources (food, water, first aid supplies, etc.) throughout the county.
  • The K9 Tactical Center/Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics (F.I.R.S.T.) is expected to have some of its first operations up and running by next spring. Construction on Land O’ Lakes-based forensics research and training center campus began in September 2018. The $4.3 million state-funded project is designed to provide “a holistic approach” to crime scene operations and investigations, as a collaborative resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement.

Published September 11, 2019

Chaplain lifts spirits at Pasco Sheriff’s Office 

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Chaplain Brian Brown — with his open-door policy — is a confidant for staff members at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He’s one of a dozen chaplains assigned across the department’s three districts who counsel law enforcement officials.

In addition to providing direct services, Brown also oversees the agency’s chaplains.

Chaplain Brian Brown has been a spiritual guide for those in the Pasco Sheriff’s Office for nearly a decade. He provides a shoulder to lean on — helping agency staff to perform their duties to the best of their ability. (Brian Fernandes)

“We minister to agency personnel and their immediate family,” said Brown, who has served in this role since 2011.

Brown’s work in ministry began more than two decades ago, and has taken him to Pinellas, Osceola and Seminole counties.

In the late 1990s, the Pinellas Park native was able to merge his faith with law enforcement by becoming a chaplain for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

He and his wife moved to Pasco County in 2005 and successfully began their own church in Trinity the following year.

Over time, his focus began to shift toward serving the local sheriff’s office, he recalled.

“What I began to see was a strong need to bring faith and stability to the members of the agency,” the chaplain said.

He recalled hearing then-Pasco County Sheriff Bob White discuss, on television, the need for more deputies in the Holiday region.

Brown decided he wanted to guide deputies in dealing with the tension of their job, so they could engage well with citizens.

He recognizes the trauma and mental stress that agency members can experience frequently.

“How does that member process that? Where do they file that away inside of their brain?” Brown said.

To better understand their struggles, the chaplain rides along with deputies in their patrol cars, accompanying them on the field.

It gives officers the chance to open up about traumatic experiences or other difficulties.

Chaplains provide Critical Incident Stress Management training to help deputies deal with such issues.

During read-offs, deputies gather together throughout the day to discuss their agendas. At these events, Brown is present to offer prayer and words of encouragement before they head out on assignment.

Even agency officials who are not deputies receive the chaplain’s support.

In his position, Brown doesn’t typically interact with offenders. That’s the role of the detention chaplain, he said.

However, occasions arise at times at the scene of an incident, where he will try to help de-escalate a situation.

He describes the chaplain’s service as a “ministry of presence” – being readily available when a need arises.

This ministry is not about preaching; it’s about being a friend, Brown said.

When deputies want to have Bible discussions, he said, he is more than willing to engage.

He also has been asked by agency members to conduct personal functions, such as weddings, funerals, baby dedications and house blessings.

Brown met with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and other officials in 2015 to find a way to extend support to agency members’ families.

The chaplain reasoned: “If the family unit at home is struggling, then that deputy is coming to work, or that agency member is coming to work and they’re not on their A-game. How do we build a bridge from the home to the agency and the agency to the home?”

In response, the law enforcement agency created the Family Support Network. The network brings together the spouses and kids of agency members, to share their challenges with one another and empathize.

Those opportunities occur with programs such as Coffee and Conversation, and the Annual Spouse Academy.

These programs allow spouses to ask questions, address concerns, and listen to guest speakers who provide advice on trauma, finances and how to cope with having a loved one working in law enforcement.

There are also programs for kids, such as the Summer Blast camp, to help kids feel confident about having a parent in the agency.

“There was a day when there was a pride inside of you to say, ‘My daddy’s in law enforcement’ or ‘My mom is in law enforcement.’ Unfortunately today, that’s not always the case,” Brown said.

Brown’s schedule includes administrative work, connecting with local businesses, and fundraising — but he always makes time to speak personally with those family members.

The chaplain credits Sheriff Nocco for unifying the agency as a cohesive team.

As a unifier himself, Brown said he relishes in the more fun aspects of his work.

“For me, personally, it is an honor to get to invest in the lives of our members,” he said. “Sometimes you just need somebody to hang with you and encourage you — make you smile, laugh [and] make your side hurt a little bit.”

Published September 04, 2019

These kits can help save lives

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A safety measure has been added to Pasco County high schools that’s aimed to help save lives during a mass casualty or active shooter situation.

The schools now have bleed control kits — designed to help prevent victims from bleeding out before emergency responders arrive.

Pasco County Schools and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office are participating in the ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign, a national initiative that aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, such as active shooter incidents. As part of the campaign, the sheriff’s office and emergency personnel trained school nurses to use bleed control kits and other measures in initial trauma management. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

The kits contain items such as tourniquets, blood-clotting dressings and casualty extraction litter, CPR mask, disposable gloves, trauma shears and a bleeding control instruction card. The kits are assembled using military grade components and based on the standards established by the American College of Surgeons.

The vacuum-sealed kits are stocked in a LIFE Station, or a surface-mounted storage cabinet strategically located throughout schools, similar to AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) and fire extinguisher cabinets.

Pasco County Schools, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Tax Collector’s Office and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recently partnered on a fundraising drive to bring LIFE Stations and bleed kits to each public high school and technical school countywide.

Enough donations were raised for each school to receive one LIFE Station, which holds up to five kits, according to the sheriff’s office.

The initial cost for stations and kits was $250,000. Each kit costs approximately $600 to $700.

The school district and sheriff’s office are now requesting donations to purchase more kits for the county’s 83 middle and elementary schools. Efforts are also being made to bring them to places of worship and other public spaces.

Someone can die from bleeding out in 30 seconds to 45 seconds, so the effort is aimed at saving lives, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said, during an Aug. 13 media conference on the bleed kits initiative.

The bleed kits go beyond the scope of a shooting or other violent attack, the sheriff said.

Pasco County Schools’ high schools and technical schools have been stocked with bleed control kits to help stem the flow of blood in urgent situations. The kits are housed in a LIFE Station container, or a surface-mounted storage cabinet similar to AEDs and fire extinguishers. Shown here is a LIFE Station that sits inside the nurse’s office at Land O’ Lakes High School. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

“It’s not just about active shooters,” Nocco said. “It could be about a traffic crash. It could be somebody fell, and it hurt them and it cut them badly. Those are the types of things that we want to make sure we get out there, that this isn’t just because of that worst-case scenario, this could be about some injury that occurred any day.”

“Just having one (station) in each facility may not be enough, you may need multiple ones,” he said.

Before the school year began, the sheriff’s office and emergency personnel trained school nurses to use the kits and other life-saving measures in initial trauma management. The training was part of a broader “Stop the Bleed” national initiative, which aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, such as active shooter incidents.

Pasco School District nurses will be training other school employees how to use the kits, officials say.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office also is creating a bleed kit instruction video for students.

“It’s like teaching a child to call 911. Now, we’re going to teach them to stop the bleed,” Nocco said.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the LIFE Stations and bleed kits create “another layer of protection in the horrible event of something going on in our schools.”

Browning emphasized the urgency in such situations: “It’s a matter of seconds before an individual could bleed out, and we want to make sure that we have the tools there to help prevent loss of life.”

Since the Parkland school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members in February 2018, the Pasco school district has bolstered its safety protocols through hiring armed safety guards, requiring stricter identification protocols, and installing more secure door locks, among other procedures.

“We work hard in keeping all of our children safe in this district,” Browning said. “I will say, we have been in a leader in the state where other districts have looked at us and said, ‘We want to do it very similar to the way you’re doing it.’”

He added, “Parents are just naturally concerned about the safety of their kids when we put them on our buses in the morning and get them to our schools, and they expect them to be safe, and I expect our kids to be safe.”

For more information, visit PascoSheriffCharities.org/stop-the-bleeding-2/.

Published August 21, 2019

Pasco sets property tax rate for 2020 fiscal year

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted a tax rate for the 2020 fiscal year.

Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices that will be mailed out to property owners will reflect these rates:

TRIM notice:

  • Property tax: 7.6076
  • Municipal fire service unit: 1.8036
  • Jail (bond issue): .0277
  • Fire rescue (bond issue): .0222
  • Parks (bond issue): .0100
  • Library (bond issue): .0096

County Commission Aggregate Millage Rate: 9.3666

By law, the property tax rate on the TRIM notice can decrease but cannot increase before it’s adopted. The first public hearing is set for Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m., at the Historic Pasco Courthouse in Dade City

Overall, the county’s taxable values increased by 9.3 percent from its values last fiscal year, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

That 9.3 percent increase generates an additional $18.1 million in ad valorum tax revenues. The county has an agreement that provides half of that increase to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. The board and other constitutional officers receive the other half.

Sheriff Chris Nocco had built his budget on an assumption of a 9.5 percent increase, which had been predicted earlier, but that projection turned out to be too high.

So, the sheriff has trimmed his proposed budget by about $300,000 to comply with the agreement, Goehig said.

Under provisions of Florida’s Save Our Homes, a tax increase for a homesteaded property is capped at 3 percent, or the rate of inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. This year, the rate of inflation is 1.9 percent.

Published July 17, 2019

Pasco Sheriff’s Office boosts online crime reporting

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Reporting a variety of crimes is getting easier for Pasco County residents through a new online reporting tool being used by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office recently upgraded the capabilities of its citizen online police reporting system to accept reports on a these types of incidents:

  • Petit theft (less than $300)
  • Petit theft bicycle (less than $300)
  • Grand theft bicycle ($300 or more)
  • Lost property
  • Littering/illegal dumping
  • Harassing phone calls
  • Phone scam (without monetary loss)

The improved system will allow citizens to generate reports for these types of crimes at their own convenience, without having to wait for a deputy to arrive on scene.

Once they are reported, the incidents are investigated, and the sheriff’s office will determine the appropriate action to take and will execute it.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office recently expanded the capabilities of its online reporting system, which will allow citizens to self-report a variety of incidents, such as lost property or criminal mischief. Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco stands at the podium in front of desk office supervisor Michael Toczylowski. (Kevin Weiss)

Reports can be filed online at PascoSheriff.com.

To file a report, citizens will be required to list the incident type and provide other relevant information, such as a brief description of what happened, along with any photos or videos that can be used to help solve a case.

Online reports will be reviewed during regular business hours.

All cases filed using the online police reporting system will be reviewed. Upon review, the sheriff’s office may reach out if further investigation is needed.

Citizens will receive a confirmation number upon completion of a report and will be notified if their case has been approved or rejected. If approved, citizens will be emailed a permanent case number.

“This is better for our citizens,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said. “There’s a lot of resources, a lot of things that go on, where (citizens) just need a case number, they just want a report number, but at the same time for our deputies, it saves us time and energy.”

Nocco said citizens still have the option to request deputies to respond on-scene, to those various types of incidents, instead of using the online reporting.

“No matter what, if you want a deputy to respond, we will send somebody out there accordingly,” Nocco said.

The sheriff also pointed out the online system is more efficient for the law enforcement agency in several instances — such as dealing with multiple department stores who consistently report lost or stolen property following routine inventory checks.

Those calls represent “a lot of work and a lot of resources,” Nocco said.

The expanded online reporting capabilities makes it more convenient for citizens who may not be interested in waiting for a deputy to arrive when they want to report a property crime, said Pasco Sheriff desk office supervisor Michael Toczylowski, who’s unit will handle the online caseloads.

“It’s great for the citizen where they don’t have to sit and wait for a deputy,” Toczylowski said, “because on a Friday or Saturday night when it’s busy, everybody’s coming home from work, there’s all sorts of incidents being reported, things are prioritized where (dispatchers) are going to send a deputy to a domestic disturbance first before coming to your house because somebody threw a rock at your car and broke a window.”

While the new system may improve convenience and efficiency, it should not be used when reporting violent crimes or when a suspect may still be at the scene of the crime, officials said.

Officials also urge residents to call 911 to report emergencies or life-threatening situations.

Published July 10, 2019