The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Chris Nocco

Pasco County property tax rate won’t change

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Pasco County property owners will pay the same tax rate as they did last year, but their property bill could rise, if the value of their property has increased.

The Pasco County Commission had its first public hearing on the county’s budget for fiscal year 2019 on Sept. 4.

The board’s final budget hearing is set for Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center Board Room, 8731 Citizen Drive in New Port Richey.

The tax rates, which will remain the same, are at 7.6076 for the county’s operations and 1.8036 for fire services.

The board can reduce the millage rates at its final public hearing on Sept. 17, but cannot increase the rate.

The tentative budget for the fiscal year is comprised of 69 separate funds, with a total budget of $1,349,683,373, including fund balances, reserves and net assets.

Here is a summary of the tentative budgeted expenditures for 2019:

  • General government: $215,650,048
  • Public safety: $232,689,204
  • Physical environment: $218,163,923
  • Transportation: $126,265,565
  • Economic environment: $26,587,512
  • Human services: $15,499,611
  • Culture/recreation: $25,068,689
  • Other nonoperating: $52,161,676
  • Court-related expenditures: $3,476,178
  • Fund balances, reserves, net assets: $433,120,967

The county’s taxable assessed values increased 9.51 over last year.

Some highlights of the budget include fully funding Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco’s 2019 budget request; a 4 percent wage increase for board and constitutional officer employees; $5.4 million for various county initiatives and $6.4 million for infrastructure improvements.

Highlights in the Municipal Fire Service Unit Fund include two additional rescue units, an arson dog, a volunteer services chief and a wage increase for union employees.

No one spoke during the public comment portion of the hearing.

Published September 12, 2018

Citizens’ survey offers praise, concerns

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About 60 percent of residents who responded to an annual National Citizens Survey rated Pasco County’s quality of life as good.

Similarly, residents gave good marks to the overall quality of county services and customer services.

But, the survey results weren’t entirely rosy.

The growth in housing is happening faster than infrastructure, including roads and schools, according to residents who took the survey.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

Traffic congestion and unsafe speed limits on roadways also emerged as a top concern among residents.

And, only 38 percent thought Pasco had a good or excellent reputation and image.

In comparison to 472 other communities included in the national citizens survey, Pasco ranked 410.

Pasco actually participates in two annual surveys to gather information about what is on the minds of its citizens.

One is the National Citizens’ Survey, based on random outreach to residents in communities across the country, including Pasco. At the same time, Pasco conducts its own online survey, open to anyone who wants to participate. Questions on both surveys are similar.

The goal is to collect feedback that can guide Pasco County officials in crafting policies and addressing issues of concern to residents.

The online survey is used mostly for comparison to the national survey’s data on Pasco, said Marc Bellas, the county’s performance management director.

Pasco’s online survey received more than 2,800 responses.  Of those, 1,200 people also provided comments.

“The citizens’ survey is our primary listening mechanism,” said Bellas. “We can identify things before they become a problem.”

The survey identified safety, the economy and mobility as the top issues of concern.

Some comments focused on traffic, including the timing of traffic signals and speeding motorists.

Bellas said the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been notified regarding specific problem areas.

“They have directed targeted patrols to address these things,” he said.

The national survey contacts residents randomly based on factors such as zip codes, population density and housing.

Bellas said the survey is statistically valid, with a plus or minus error rate of 6 percent.

In addition to the top three issues of concern to residents, the surveys also looked at these factors: natural environment, built environment, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.

Online survey results trended generally lower than the national survey results.

Bellas said some of that difference is based on how data is collected for each survey.

For instance, online results on overall quality of life were about 57 percent — lower than the national survey of 60 percent favorable.

Both surveys had ratings below the national benchmark of about 68 percent.

“We still need to get much, much better at pushing out the positive things (about Pasco),” Bellas said.

On the national survey, about 62 percent of residents thought the overall quality of services provided to residents was good. That was on par with the national benchmark.

However, the online survey found less than 50 percent of residents felt good about the county’s delivery of services.

On the “most important issues,” residents put road maintenance first, followed by code enforcement, and parks and recreation.

A number of comments, especially from west Pasco residents, raised concerns about drug-related crime, blight and homelessness.

“There were more comments on that than I have seen on any prior year,” said Bellas. “Our challenge is to engage others to be part of the solution…to make Pasco a premier county.”

One issue that drew attention from county commissioners was how to improve Pasco’s reputation and image.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey suggested the county adopt a “state of the county” annual report, similar to those done by city mayors.

There were some concerns raised by county commissioners regarding an A & E television show, “Live PD.” On Friday and Saturday nights, camera crews from the show follow deputies on their night shifts as they respond in real time to emergency calls.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco signed up his office as one of about six departments around the country that are highlighted on the show.

“It’s about transparency,” said Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the sheriff’s office. It allows people to see the challenges that law enforcement faces, he added.

But, some area businesses can end up shown in the background as arrests are made. County commissioners said they would like to see more positive aspects of policing presented, along with the crime fighting.

“We need to be very mindful of the image we’re putting out to the world,” Starkey said.

Published August 15, 2018

‘Bots’ help fight sex crimes

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is using a new cyber sting program to combat human sex trafficking.

The agency has joined forces with the Tampa-based U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT), to use an approach that attacks the demand-side of sex trafficking by targeting and identifying online sex buyers through the use of intercept bots.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) on a new cyber program that uses intercept bots to disrupt the online sex buying process. The bots are used to create fake sex ads that are posted online as part of a cyber sting operation. The new anti-trafficking program launched July 9. From left: USIAHT Florida Regional Manager Stephanie Costolo, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Pasco Sheriff Cpl. Alan Wilkett. (Kevin Weiss)

Here’s how it works: The bots are used to create fake sex ads that are posted online as part of a cyber sting operation. A bot, posing as an individual looking to receive money for sex, communicates directly with all responders to the ad. During communication, the bot collects data from the sex buyers and sends it to law enforcement, eventually ending the conversation by informing the sex buyers that they have been communicating with a robot, that law enforcement has their information, and sends them resources for rehabilitation programs.

Data collected about the sex buyer may contain their name, phone, address, cell carrier, place of employment city, zip code and additional information.

From there, the sheriff’s office will seek to arrest and prosecute known offenders, particularly those that search out underage victims for sex.

The new program was introduced at a recent news conference.

“We’re going to know who you are,” said Pasco Sheriff Cpl. Alan Wilkett, referring to the potential sex buyers.

“If you’re going to buy sex in Pasco, this is your buyer-beware warning. Instead of engaging a victim and preying upon their vulnerabilities, you might be talking to us,” said Wilkett, who heads up Pasco’s human trafficking task force.

The bot program officially launched countywide July 9.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is believed to be the first agency in Florida to utilize the technology to combat human sex trafficking.

It is being funded privately by the USIAHT through donations from a group of foundations and individual donors.

The USIAHT approached the sheriff’s office nine months ago about implementing the program.

The Microsoft-developed bot technology was first introduced on the west coast by an anti-trafficking organization called Seattle Against Slavery.

Officials with USIAT suggest the bots can communicate with thousands of buyers simultaneously.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said the technology should save his agency time, money and other resources. Deputies no longer will have to spend the time to set up fake sex ads and communicate with buyers through cyber sting operations.

“It makes us much more effective to go after people,” the sheriff said, adding cyber sex stings are “intensive operations” for law enforcement agencies.

Sex trafficking an issue in Pasco, Tampa Bay
Before the program was implemented, the USIAHT performed a case study in Pasco and Tampa to determine the scope of sex trafficking and prostitution.

The findings were staggering.

Stephanie Costolo, USIAHT’s regional manager for Florida, said her team discovered more than 32,000 local ads on sex-selling sites across a two-month period.

The organization also counted hundreds of websites, apps and secret social media groups “dedicated to the purchase and sale of sex.”

“We have a lot of sex buyers here in Pasco County,” said Costolo.

For the next 45 days to 60 days, the USIAHT will deploy the bots to collect even more information on the landscape of human sex trafficking in Pasco.

They hope to get better estimates on the number of sex buyers in the county and to determine how aggressively they pursue minors for sex, among other data.

Many of the bot profiles, at least initially, will be set up as minors looking to sell sex — allowing the sheriff’s office to better target “the worst of the worst” offenders.

“We’re looking for repeat callers. We’re looking for people who are continuing to hit these ads,” Wilkett said.

Florida typically ranks third in the nation for calls about incidents of human trafficking, behind California and Texas, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Tampa Bay usually ranks fourth in the state for the number of such calls.

Officials say the region’s attraction as a tourism destination, along with having international airports and deep-water seaports, “increase vulnerabilities” for human sex trafficking. Hosting large sporting events and conventions also lends to the problem: “We have a lot of potential (sex) buyers that come in when those kinds of things happen,” Wilkett said of major events.

Meanwhile, the intercept bot technology is part of a larger initiative through the USIAHT called the Trafficking Free Zone program. In addition to trying to reduce the demand for sex trafficking by arresting and prosecuting sex buyers, the program also focuses on educating the community on sex trafficking and offering resources for victims, as well as those struggling with sex and/or porn addiction.

“We have to get educated to understand what sex trafficking looks like in our community,” Costolo said. “We have to get enraged that this is happening to our children — and we have to get engaged.”

Published July 18, 2018

Pasco tax revenues are up this year

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Rising property values in Pasco County could provide about $11 million in increased revenues.

That’s a bigger windfall than the $10.5 million initially projected.

That extra cash – about $650,000 – would play a key role in helping to close a $3.3 million gap in funding requests for 2019 from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Pasco County expected to receive final revenue data by July 1 from the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office.

The Pasco County Commission received a budget update — including two possible scenarios on the sheriff’s budget — at a June 26 public workshop at Saint Leo University.

Both options on the sheriff’s budget relied on the $650,000 of additional revenue.

County commissioners quickly rejected one option to also withdraw $2.6 million from a reserve fund.

Instead, they accepted a staff recommendation to pair the $650,000 with budget cuts. An estimated $2.4 million for temporary on-site pods at the overcrowded Land O’ Lakes Detention Center would be delayed until 2020. And, a proposed $250,000 for Safety Town would be eliminated.

Commissioners agreed with the staff’s recommendation, except for cutting the Safety Town proposal.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., said funds should be found for Safety Town either from the county’s fund balance or new property tax revenues.

Safety Town is a safety education program for children, ages 5 to 8, that the sheriff’s office operates.

“It’s really for youth,” Wells said. “It’s needed. I think we need to absolutely fully support the sheriff on this.”

The sheriff’s budget for 2019 is nearly $133 million, an 11.5 percent increase. However, most of that increase is related to jail overcrowding.

While temporary on-site inmate housing would be delayed, the proposed budget still includes funds for out-of-county inmate housing.

The existing jail was built for a capacity of about 1,400 inmates but currently is about 200 inmates over that cap. While that’s a dip in recent weeks, the jail, at times, has had nearly 1,800 inmates.

“It’s a safety issue for deputies,” said Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. “We’ve seen a spike in fights going on.”

Currently, Seminole County’s jail has about 60 of Pasco’s inmates, at a cost of under $74 a day per inmate.

The sheriff also said 13 new detention officers will be hired and trained during the next nine- to 12-month period.

When money is available for on-site pods, those officers will be ready, he said.

Commissioners also reviewed funding requests for about 40 items from various departments, split into two tiers based on priority.

One package would cost about $4.4 million for expenses such as wage increases for county employees, restoration of library hours, fire rescue stations, and an additional inmate work crew.

The other package of about $1.1 million would pay for new positions in departments, including public services and development services.

There also was a recommendation for $15,000 to the United Way of Pasco County, for an emergency fund to aid low-income residents who aren’t eligible for other programs.

Wells asked that funding for United Way be increased to $50,000. Later on, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested $100,000.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked for details on those expenses.

“I support the United Way. I just want to know where the money is coming from,” she said.

Anticipated property tax revenues might be enough to fund the United Way request, said Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles.

He also noted that county officials are taking a realistic approach to crafting the 2019 budget to withstand potential revenue losses for 2020.

A major concern is a November referendum for an additional $25,000 homestead exemption for homes valued more than $100,000. Most county officials expect it to pass, with a projected revenue loss as high as $14 million, effective for the 2020 budget.

Even so, Biles said county officials looked at the potential revenue losses “and what that would do to the budget so we don’t have to go back on any of these decisions for 2019.”

That includes the priority items for wages, library hours and new job positions, he said.

The county also has other referendums in November that could change spending priorities.

County commissioners recently approved four bond referendums for the November ballot that would bring new revenues for public safety, fire rescue, parks and libraries, if approved.

“If the park referendum doesn’t pass, we have a huge amount of backlog for our parks for safety reasons,” Starkey said. “I don’t want to see parks closing down.”

Published July 4, 2018

Deadline approaching for county budget

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Crunch time is approaching for Pasco County’s 2019 budget.

On June 5, Pasco County commissioners got a look at a draft budget as part of their review process.

Crucial dates are coming up, including a July 10 deadline to set the millage rate, which determines how much homeowners will pay in taxes.

No increase in millage is expected. However, some will pay higher tax bills because of general increases in property values.

County officials anticipate that the average, single-family homeowner will pay almost $16 more into the general fund on a homesteaded property valued at $100,000. The cost will increase about $3.80 for the fire fund.

Owners of non-homesteaded property will pay almost $65 more to the general fund, and about $15.35 to the fire fund.

New revenues from property taxes are expected to increase by about 8.5 percent for the general fund, adding about $10.5 million to county coffers.

Those funds are evenly divided between the county and its constitutional offices, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

New construction is fueling a large share of the increased tax revenue.

However, a Nov. 8 referendum to add another $25,000 exemption to homesteaded property is expected to adversely affect the county’s 2020 budget — if the measure passes, and county officials are expecting it to pass.

The loss to the county’s general fund in 2020 would be about $12 million, and about $2.4 million for the fire fund.

Funding temporary housing for inmates at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center is one of the immediate challenges facing the Pasco County Commission.

By 2020, projections put inmate population at nearly 2,400 a day. The facility was built to house about 1,400 inmates, and already exceeds that number.

The draft budget includes about $2.4 million for the cost of temporary onsite housing; and another $2.5 million to pay other counties to house Pasco inmates in their jails.

Currently, there remains about $3.3 million in unfunded budget needs at the sheriff’s office.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco struck a positive note on the matter.

“It’s very tricky, but we’re getting there,” Nocco told county commissioners. “I know we’re going to get there in the end.”

Other big ticket items include about $2.8 million for repairs and capital improvements for public buildings; $1.4 million for Medicaid, retirement and health insurance; and $1 million for deferred maintenance of parks that are in danger of closing.

County officials peg deferred maintenance costs at parks at about $24 million.

“So, that’s not even treading water there,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Published June 13, 2018

Budget talks look at next two years

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As the Pasco County Commission contemplates the county’s budget for fiscal year 2019, it’s also thinking about the budget for 2020.

Commissioners are looking ahead, because they know that a referendum on the November ballot could have a sizable impact on the county’s budget.

Voters will decide on Nov. 8 whether to expand homestead exemptions by $25,000. If the referendum passes, Pasco County stands to lose an estimated $10 million to $12 million in property tax revenues.

So, instead of looking at just this year’s budget, commissioners are taking a close look on any expenses that could affect future budgets.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles has asked department heads to submit flat budgets, with little to no increase.

There are 14 potential budget initiatives that will compete for property tax revenues in the 2019 budget.

Expanded library hours is one of the initiatives competing for the funds. Libraries slated to get more hours in 2019 are Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City and Hudson Regional Library in Hudson.

Other budget initiatives include the 911 Call Center and salary increases for county employees.

Salary raises would be 2 percent for cost of living, and 2 percent for merit.

Biles said employees “are our most important resources.

“That’s my No. 1 priority, taking care of our employees. We need to stay competitive.”

As they consider budget priorities, commissioners also are facing a Pasco County Sheriff’s budget request for a total of about $12.6 million.

Of that, about $7.2 million is for operations, with about $5.4 million for the cost of temporary housing for inmates at the overcrowded Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

The county’s 2018 budget came in at about $1.3 billion, with no change to the existing millage rate.

The millage rate determines how much the county collects from property taxes.

Estimates on new property tax revenues for 2019 have increased slightly. In February, county officials anticipated a 7.5 percent increase of about $13.3 million.

The estimate now is for about an 8 percent increase, or $14.2 million. However, once deductions are made for items such as payments for special tax districts, community redevelopment areas, and temporary housing for inmates, the county’s portion of new money dips to about $3.7 million.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s operations budget – separate from inmates’ temporary housing – is about a 6 percent increase. That’s a smaller increase than the $8.1 million requested in 2018, which paid for raises, equipment and new hires.

Nocco brought up the issue of overcrowding at a February workshop with commissioners.

In his budget letter to the board on May 1, Nocco puts the blame for the matter on the “failure of (the) past County administration.”

No action in past years was taken to approve a 1,000-bed expansion, estimated at around $128 million.

Now, according to Nocco, the county can expect an annual bill of about $9.8 million to pay for temporary housing, until the jail expansion is built.

“It has now become a burdensome, unfunded liability for the county,” Nocco states in his letter, which commissioners didn’t receive until after their May 1 workshop.

At the February workshop, county commissioners discussed placing bond issues before the voters to pay for the jail expansion, other public safety projects, and libraries.

No decision has been made.

Current options for inmate’s temporary housing include transferring some inmates to Seminole County, possibly Hernando County, and installing trailers at the detention center. The cost of a contract with Seminole is estimated at $2.5 million, with another $2.4 million for trailers at the detention center.

Pasco County officials expect to receive the final taxable assessed values from the Pasco County Property Appraiser by July 1.

Commissioners would then set the millage rate on July 10, and the budget would be finalized in September.

The fiscal year for 2019 begins Oct. 1.

Published May 9, 2018

Political Agenda 4/18/2018

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Zephyrhills City Council election results
The results are in from the April 10 election for seats on the Zephyrhills City Council.

Jodi Wilkeson has been elected to the District 3 seat, and Charles E. Proctor has been re-elected to the District 5 seat.

Wilson received 553 votes, which represented 45.89 percent of the vote in the District 3 election. Cory Paul Sommers came in second, with 376 votes or 31.20 percent of the vote, and Devin J. Alexander placed third, with 276 votes, representing 22.90 percent of the vote.

Proctor was re-elected with 751 votes, representing 63.54 percent of the vote. His opponent, William David Seville received 431 votes, representing 36.46 percent of the vote.

Meetings

  • The Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Pasco County will meet on April 24 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Brick City Eatery, 16540 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz.
  • The Republican Club of Central Pasco will meet April 23 at the Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley will be the speaker. The social starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.

Endorsements

  • Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco has endorsed Mike Moore for re-election to the District 2 seat of the Pasco County Commission, according to Moore’s campaign.

Political Agenda is a column that runs only during election years.

It gives candidates a place to announce they are seeking political office. It lets voters know of upcoming Meet the Candidate nights or political forums.

It is a place where political clubs can announce upcoming meetings, and it will include news that is pertinent to voters for upcoming elections. It will not include political fundraising events.

There is never a guarantee of publication, but we do consider each item we receive. Please submit items for consideration at least two weeks prior to the desired publication date. Send submissions to .

Sheriff’s Office adds policing advisor

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is taking a closer look at its policing practices, as a measure to maintain transparency and openness in dealing with citizens.

To do so, the agency has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as its first constitutional policing advisor.

As part of her new role, Moore’s primary duties are to to ensure the agency follows best practices and procedures in the arena of search-and-seizure; use of force; detention operations; profiling issues; citizen contacts; arrests; and, custody operations.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s has appointed general counsel Lindsay Moore as the agency’s first constitutional policing advisor. Moore will be responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

She’s also responsible for regularly reviewing agency policies and procedures to ensure they align with constitutional case rulings.

If laws and case precedent change, Moore will publish alerts and coordinate trainings with members of the agency.

“These are all things that we’re already doing, but this is going to be codifying these things into one cohesive program,” Moore said.

Moore is a former associate attorney at a civil litigation law firm specializing in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. She also is a former assistant state’s attorney with the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, where she prosecuted domestic violence cases, crimes against children, and felonies.

As an extra measure to enhance constitutional policing efforts, the Sheriff’s Office also appointed Capt. Eric Seltzer to serve as a liaison between other criminal justice system partners, including the county state’s attorney’s office efforts. He’ll also provide oversight for new training measures.

The agency is using existing resources to fund the new advisory roles.

Originally developed by the Los Angeles Police Department, constitutional policing is a growing trend nationwide where law enforcement agencies proactively work to protect the civil rights of the citizens they police.

Also known as “legal policing,” constitutional policing cooperates with the parameters set by the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, and the many court decisions that have defined in greater detail what the text of the Constitution means in terms of the everyday practices of policing.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said adhering to constitutional policing should yield more prosecutable cases and fewer citizen complaints of possible unlawful discrimination and harassment by deputies.

“We have to be by the book in everything we do. We’re not just sitting back and waiting for a complaint to come in. We’re going to proactively look to make sure we’re doing everything the right way, all the time,” Nocco explained.

“It’s going to make us better deputies and better people out there serving the community,” he said.

Published April 4, 2018

Pasco Sheriff’s Office unveils app to help stress

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Pasco Sgt. Matt Rosenbloom has handled countless distressing calls throughout his 12 years in law enforcement.

“I’ve seen things that people shouldn’t see out there,” he said.

Sometimes it takes several days for him to get past a particular incident. Witnessing the death of a child, for instance, takes a heavy toll.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said post-traumatic stress is a ‘hidden secret’ in the law enforcement community. Along with the app, the Sheriff’s Office is working on several different projects to address the issue from both the member and the family side, which includes available training regarding emotional survival and coping techniques.
(Kevin Weiss)

It’s something many deputies aren’t mentally prepared for emotionally, the sergeant said.

“We’re trained to deal with the physical dangers and to anticipate knowing that there’s those physical dangers,” Rosenbloom said. “What we are not often aware of are the long-term emotional health dangers that come along with the job.”

To help its members cope with those psychological scars, the law enforcement agency has developed a new smartphone app called Pasco Sheriff’s Office PTS (Post-Traumatic Stress).

The app offers resources, including mental health tools and videos for those who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress.

The app features a stress assessment questionnaire and also provides contact information to those who can provide help, including community partners such as BayCare and the University of South Florida. Other crisis resources include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the National Law Enforcement Officers Hotline.

The tool was developed in-house with help from some outside contractors, as part of a $150,000 pilot program related to post traumatic stress in law enforcement and ways to address the issue.

The funding was included in last year’s state budget that was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, after Rep. Danny Burgess and Sen. Wilton Simpson submitted a budget request on behalf of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Along with the app, funding has been spent on several different projects to address the issue from both the member and the family side, including offering training for its members and their families regarding emotional survival and coping techniques.

At a March 15 media conference, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said post-traumatic stress is a “hidden secret” and “never really been spoken about” among law enforcement circles.

He said the disorder has led to broken families, alcoholism and other problems among deputies, because the issue wasn’t addressed head-on.

The current, sometimes volatile climate for law enforcement doesn’t help matters, Nocco said. This year, so far, more than 30 officers nationwide have been killed in the line of duty.

The sheriff elaborated: “For a law enforcement deputy…you’re going from one person’s worst moment of their life, continuous all day long and then you go home. “We’re called upon during people’s worst times, and then what’s going on more and more in society is — no matter what we do, it is never good enough.

“I can tell you that is overwhelmingly stressing our members now that they know no matter what decisions they make, it’s going to be second-guessed the following day,” he said.

Pasco Sheriff PTS is now available through the Google Play store and soon will be in the Apple store.

Rosenbloom said he has already utilized the tool on a few occasions and has found it helpful.

An app that’s easily accessible
“The quick access is great because I would say for some deputies that immediately after the incident that adrenaline dumps, and now all of a sudden they’re experiencing these feelings.

“They could go on the app right then and there, or it may come days later, where they may start reliving that experience and saying, ‘Is this normal?’ and go back on the app,” Rosenbloom said.

Meanwhile, it provides “a good foundation” for deputies unfamiliar with post-traumatic stress and its effects, Rosenbloom added.

“There may be newer officers…who are not sure whether they’re feeling the right thing or whether they should still be feeling what they’re feeling after a critical incident.

“This app breaks it down, asks questions and, in the end, it gives you an assessment of whether what you’re feeling is correct or not,” Rosenbloom explained.

The app is also meant for deputies’ families. Rosenbloom’s wife, Lena, has utilized the app to access support for herself and her children.

“You need just a couple of taps to get you help,” Lena said, noting its user-friendly capabilities.

“When you’re in a crisis, the last thing you want to do is try and find a phone number, pull out a card and (find) the EAP (Employee Assistance Program) number,” she said.

While mainly geared toward law enforcement and their families, the sheriff encourages anyone to use the tool, if he or she needs guidance or help.

The sheriff specifically mentioned the tool’s usefulness for other first responders, such as firefighters, as well as teenagers, parents and teachers.

“We want everybody to go on here and use this,” Nocco said. “We want to make sure they see it’s available, because the intent when we asked this of the Legislature was to say, ‘Look, we’re going to build it, we’ll develop it, but at the same time, it’s not solely for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It’s going to be used for everybody.’”

The Sheriff’s Office will not use the app to collect data or information on users, Nocco said.

The app also will be updated continuously as new strategies come along in dealing with post-traumatic stress.

The goal is to provide assistance in time of need, Nocco said.

“Everybody feels like they’re swimming out at sea, and there’s nobody to help them; here’s another life preserver that we’re throwing out there, to help them get help, to make them feel better and to realize that they’re not alone,” Nocco said.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.

Symptoms of PTSD:

  • Reliving the event, or having flashbacks in bad memories or nightmares
  • Avoiding situations that remind you of the traumatic event
  • Having contant negative beliefs and feelings, such as guilt and shame, or feeling the world is dangerous and can’t trust anyone
  • Feeling overly jittery and alert, and always on the lookout for danger

People with PTSD may also experience other problems. These include:

  • Feelings of hopelessness, shame, or despair
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Drinking or drug problems
  • Physical symptoms or chronic pain
  • Employment problems
  • Relationship problems, including divorce

–Information from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ National Center for PTSD

Published March 21, 2018

Bond issue for jail and fire rescue expansions?

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Pasco County commissioners are considering a possible referendum to see voter approval for a 30-year bond issue that would pay for a jail expansion, four new fire stations, and the expansion of five existing fire stations.

The $185 million bond issue, earmarked for public safety, would be placed before voters on the November ballot.

County commissioners got preliminary data on the bond at a Jan. 30 workshop in Dade City. The matter will be discussed again at a Feb. 13 workshop in New Port Richey.

If approved, households on average could expect to pay about $22.50 a year, based on a home value of about $100,000.

Station 22, at 9930 Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, is on a list of Pasco County fire stations that need to be upgraded, and potentially could benefit from a proposed bond. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Pasco Fire Chief Scott Cassin made their cases for why the bond is needed.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place now,” Nocco said.

The county’s detention center, in Land O’ Lakes, is overcrowded, and the situation is getting worse. The facility was built to house 1,432 inmates, but on Jan. 29 held 1,842 inmates, according to county jail records.

By 2020, projections peg inmate population at nearly 2,400 a day.

The bond issue would pay for a 1,000-bed expansion.

At the present time, some inmates sleep on the floor or on cots, as jail cells routinely are filled to capacity, Nocco said.

“The rate of growth is tremendous,” he said. “The need for public safety is there.”

Sheriff’s officials have looked at two options to relieve overcrowding.

One would involve agreements with other counties to house Pasco’s inmates. Of nine counties contacted, Polk and Seminole counties responded.

Polk would house up to 200 inmates daily at a cost of about $8.2 million a year. Seminole would house 50 inmates daily at a cost of about $1.4 million.

Those costs don’t include transportation or medical costs, Nocco said.

The second option would be to lease stainless steel trailers to place on jail property. More than 100 inmates could be housed in six trailers. A three-year lease would cost about $1.9 million.

Fencing, camera security systems, food, and additional staff would be needed as well, for an estimated cost of about $900,000, the sheriff said.

Both options would be temporary solutions until the existing jail could be expanded, Nocco said.

Pasco’s fire rescue department also has challenges in responding to emergency calls as the county’s population explodes.

“We’re responding to more calls every day as a result of population growth,” said Pasco Fire Chief Scott Cassin.

Currently, there generally are no new stations being built “where people are moving,” Cassin said.

One exception is a new fire station at Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel in an area booming with new development, including master-planned communities of Epperson and Mirada. Construction is slated to begin in May or June, Cassin said.

The need for more fire stations is apparent from current data, he added.

On Jan. 22, Cassin said there were 265 emergency calls. Response time for 90 percent of those calls was under 15 minutes, but he said, “The (call volume) is going off the chart.”

In 2017, fire rescue responded to about 71,000 emergency calls. That is expected to increase to about 100,000 in the next eight years.

To cover the county, about 65 percent of the time, fire trucks are sent to locations outside their assigned zones, which impacts response times, said Cassin.

In the next four years, Cassin said four new stations should be built.

They would be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52; State Road 52 and Majestic Parkway; Meadow Pointe, by State Road 56; and Bexley, off State Road 54. In addition, five stations need to be expanded and upgraded, he said.

They would be at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard; Seven Springs Boulevard; U.S. 19 and Cross Bayou Boulevard; Shady Hills; and, Crystal Springs.

If the bond were approved, the county would still need to find money for operational costs.

“That is something we’d have to figure out how to do,” said Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles.

County commissioners also face funding needs for necessary repairs and upgrades at county parks, and improvements to county libraries.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey would like to include parks and libraries in the same bond as the jails and fire rescue.

“Can’t we get revenue for capital repairs for a few more dollars?” Starkey said.

During the economic recession, funding for parks and libraries were repeatedly cut.

“There’s no doubt the parks have been stripped and stripped,” said Pasco County Chairman Mike Wells Jr.

Biles said he would provide additional information on funding parks and libraries at the Feb. 13 workshop.

Published February 7, 2018