The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Area events honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lives on each year as communities nationwide celebrate the birth of the civil rights leader with parades, community service days and reflections on his message of non-violence.

The official holiday honoring King will be Jan. 18.

In Pasco County, celebrations will be take place throughout the week, including a first-time parade in Lacoochee on the official holiday.

The parade came at the suggestion of the young people in the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, said Lorenzo Coffie, who is helping organize the parade and a scholarship breakfast for the MLK Program Committee.

“We thought it was an exciting idea,” Coffie said.

Area colleges and civic groups also are planning events.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington. (FIle Photo)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington.
(FIle Photo)

Pasco-Hernando State College will host the 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series on Jan. 20 and Jan. 21, on its various campuses around the county.

The guest speaker will be Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University in North Carolina and director of the Institute of Critical US Studies.

The theme of Neal’s lectures will be “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media.”

King’s legacy is in civil rights, but also social justice, and this year’s theme focuses on the synergy between the two, said Imani Asukile, director of Global & Multicultural Awareness at PHSC.

Neal also brings expertise in social media and its cultural influences. His articles have been published in the Washington Post, Emerge Magazine and The Chicago Sun-Times.

He is author of four books, including his most recent, “New Black Man: Rethinking Black Masculinity.”
Neal has described himself as a black feminist male.

At Saint Leo University, there will be a Spring Community Service Day on Jan. 18.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince will be the guest speaker at noon in the Student Community Center boardroom, discussing King’s efforts to end childhood poverty.

Quince became the first African-American woman appointed to a state appeals court when she was selected to serve on the Second Court of Appeal in 1993. She was elected to the position three years later.

Gov. Lawton Chiles and Gov.-elect Jeb Bush appointed her to the Florida Supreme Court in 1998. She served as chief justice from 2008 to 2010, making her the second African-American and third woman to hold the position.

Following her talk, a free children’s fair will be on campus. There will be face painting, sand art and several inflatables. Faculty, students and student clubs will host the activities.

In Lacoochee, the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, local churches, schools, area businesses and the MLK Program Committee plan two days of activities.

On Jan. 16, a Scholarship Breakfast program will take place at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. Donations of $10 for adults and $5 for students are requested. The funds will provide scholarships to area high school students.

On Jan. 18, a parade will be held, followed by a program at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, with the Rev. Deundrick Reed as keynote speaker.

The MLK Program Committee enlists different hosts each year for festivities. Coffie said the committee members appreciate the enthusiasm of the youth at the Boys & Girls Club who wanted to stage a parade.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Jessica Hammond, known as Officer Friendly, also encouraged the parade, he said.

The theme is “The Dream: One Nation Under God.”

“(Dr.) King was a reverend. That was his forte,” said Coffie. “His ministry was based on nonviolence and equality for all.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations:

Activities at Pasco-Hernando State College
Who: Guest lecturer Mark Anthony Neal, professor of black popular culture in African-American Studies at Duke University
What: Lecture on  “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media”
When: Jan. 20 at 10 a.m., in Room B-303, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Road, Wesley Chapel and at 6 p.m. in Room A-240, East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road, Dade City.
Neal also will speak on Jan. 21 at 9:45 a.m., via web telecast in B-104/105, North Campus, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Brooksville; at 9:45 a.m., in Performing Arts Center, West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, and at 7 p.m., in Room B-105, Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court, Spring Hill

Activities at Saint Leo University
What: Speech by Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince
Where: Student Community Center boardroom
When: Jan. 18 at noon

What: Children’s fair
When: Jan. 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., on the green between the Student Activities Building and Kirk Hall.
Saint Leo University is at 33701 State Road 52, four miles east of Interstate 75.

MLK Program Committee Activities

What: Scholarship Breakfast Program
When: Jan. 16, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Lacoochee.
How much: Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for students

MLK parade
When: Jan. 18 at 9 a.m.
Where: Starting in Lacoochee at Cummer Road and U.S. 301, ending at Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. After the parade, there will be a MLK Commemorative Program at 11 a.m., at the boys and girls club, where the Rev. Deundrick Reed will be the keynote speaker. There will be refreshments at Stanley Park after the program.

Published January 13, 2016

Dade City joins Pasco’s 911 system

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911Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom could see the need for better communications between his police officers and deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, on a daily basis.

Each agency had 911 centers operating on different radio frequencies.

“We’re surrounded by the county. We interact with them every day,” said Velboom. But, a deputy who needed assistance just outside city limits might be sent backup from 10 miles away, when a Dade City police officer was a few blocks away.

Critical time can be lost and the safety of police officers jeopardized, Velboom said.

On Oct. 5, a consolidation of the Dade City 911 Center and Pasco County’s Public Safety Communications addressed that problem.

Two staff members from Dade City completed weeks of training with the new consolidated system and transferred to Pasco’s Emergency Operations Center in New Port Richey.

The consolidation had been under discussion for two years as a way to increase both public safety and efficiency.

“It just made sense,” Velboom said.

The consolidation also reduces duplication because Dade City police officers now will file police reports on the county’s system. Both agencies previously had separate records management systems.

“We’ll be sharing all the data,” said Velboom.

Dade City will pay the county about $90,000 a year.

Velboom will serve on a board of directors that will oversee emergency operations, including the hiring and firing of staff.

“We have some ownership of this,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said law enforcement agencies across the country are moving toward consolidation, in part due to recommendations that emerged after the 9/11 terrorists attacks.

“We have realized that public safety communications is critical for the safety of our citizens and first responders,” Nocco said.

Several months ago, the Pasco County Commission approved hiring of eight additional call takers for the county’s emergency operations.

Call takers answer 911 calls and relay information to dispatchers who use GPS tracking to pinpoint locations of patrol units for both Dade City and the county.

Pasco County has 15 administrative staff members and 82 operational members.

About 600,000 calls for service are answered each year.

The increasing volume of calls is complicated by the disappearance of landline phone service in favor of cellphones, Velboom said.

Under the old separate systems, a resident who called 911 in Dade City from a cellphone would reach the county’s emergency center in New Port Richey. That call would then be transferred to Dade City’s emergency center where information had to be repeated, and there was a chance of a dropped call.

“About 75 to 80 percent of 911 calls come in on cellphones,” Velboom said. “And cellphone calling is going to go up.”

Consolidation also has brought improvements regarding how calls are handled.

In years past, dispatchers were trained to handle one of three types of calls: police, fire or medical. Velboom said now dispatchers are cross-trained in all three protocols.

“One dispatcher can answer every call,” he said. “It makes it so much easier.”

Published October 7, 2015

New volunteer teams expand Sheriff’s Office’s reach

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Representatives of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office are preparing to patrol area waters, respond to natural disasters and investigate crime scenes.

But they aren’t deputies or detectives.

They’re regular citizens taking part in one of the Sheriff’s Office’s three new volunteer programs.

Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments. (Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)
Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments.
(Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)

The Volunteer Corps Marine Crime Unit, the Volunteer Agriculture Response Team and the Forensic Services Volunteer Team are accepting applications from students who are studying related courses in college and from anyone else who is interested in taking an active role in helping the county. Volunteers will undergo a background check and fingerprinting, and must be available for a minimum number of hours each month.

“I think this is going to be a great addition. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to get people involved and helping out in the community,” said Susan Miller, a forensic shift supervisor at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services department. Volunteers for her department will need to be available for a minimum of 16 hours a month and will be dispatched to crime scenes to assist deputies.

It is a hands-on method of lending support to the Sheriff’s Office, but there are limitations. The marine unit isn’t authorized to pursue or board any vehicles. They use their own craft to patrol neighborhood waterways and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office, much like a neighborhood watch program — but this one’s on the water.

The agriculture team will work on mending fences, and corralling and handling livestock and other animals in the event of a disaster situation.

The forensics team will work on property crimes such as auto burglaries. Their job will be to collect information, fingerprints and any related evidence at the scene.

Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.
Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.

Forensics team volunteers will receive specific training related to their duties, Miller said. She worked with other supervisors to create a 40-hour course that volunteers will complete. They’ll learn the science and processing procedures regarding fingerprinting, applicable photography information, and how to identify and collect relevant evidence.

Miller also expects them to learn that forensics work is interesting, but not the action-filled, drama seen on popular television shows.

It’s not glamorous work, either, Miller said. “You’re really out there working hard.”

Crimes aren’t neatly solved in an hour, and there’s a lot more paperwork than you’ll find on the television screen, but it still can be an enjoyable experience for those interested in the field, she said.

Volunteers will be dispatched to crime scenes and will help the county with the many auto burglaries that occur on a daily basis. Miller said there were around 1,500 such incidents in Pasco County during the past year.

While it’s a new program, there are some volunteers already taking the course, and a small number in the field for her department, Miller said. She’s pleased with the results so far, and hopes more people take advantage to learn new skills and volunteer for the Sheriff’s Office in a meaningful way.

“It’s going to be great to have the help and to have the added presence in the community,” she said.

For information about the new volunteer groups, call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Human Resources Department at (727) 844-7791 or (800) 854-2862, ext. 7791.

To download an application, visit PascoSheriff.com/volunteer-opportunities/.

Published August 19, 2015

 

Dade City native is a writing wizard

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Wendell Speer is a prolific note-taker.

Paper and pen are ready at hand.

“You’ll get a million ideas wherever you go. If you don’t write them down, you’ll never remember them all,” he said.

Children at libraries in Poland lined up to get autographed copies of Wendell Speer’s book, ‘Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.’ (Courtesy of Wendell Speer)
Children at libraries in Poland lined up to get autographed copies of Wendell Speer’s book, ‘Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.’
(Courtesy of Wendell Speer)

Notes on slips of paper, written down in quiet moments on walks in the woods or in the hushed quiet of the local library, laid the trail that led to “Simon Peppercorn, Log in to Magic Space.”

Speer published his fantasy tale of the young wizard apprentice, Simon Peppercorn, more than eight years ago on his own. A Polish publisher translated the story and introduced it to a young reading audience in that country about three years ago.

About 2,000 copies sold in Poland, Speer said.

The American version is available at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. Copies also are available at the Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City.

Speer is at work currently on a series of “first-chapter” books including one about a magic pencil box and a young girl who brings it to life. He hopes to find an agent and publisher for his newest creations.

But Speer said he is realistic about his chances.

“I know I’m the underdog,” he said. “I don’t have the contacts. I don’t know people who know people.”

What he does have, Speer said, is a passion for writing that began with a sixth grade classroom assignment and a mystery story. By age 18, he knew that he wanted to write a book.

He followed his heart to the fantasy world and found Simon Peppercorn.

The book follows 12-year-old Simon on his journey into “Magic Space” in quest of adventure and a special crystal with powers to save him from being transformed into a werewolf. His journey begins in a typical small town in the real world, known as “Hardspace.”

Once he enters an alternate realm, Simon learns he is a novice wizard who must confront dragons, werewolves, wicked witches, goblins and trolls.

The target audience is children ages 9 and older. As film, it would be a visual treat and even has theme park potential, Speer said.

Except for the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Speer said there were few other books about wizardry. It seemed a natural to find his own niche with young readers.

“I read all the Harry Potter books,” he said. “I was enthralled by them.”

But Simon Peppercorn is different, said Speer who cites other influences such as the King Arthur tales, Polish folklore and Mark Twain.

“Harry Potter is very much a mystery book,” Speer said. “Simon Peppercorn is an adventure story. It’s like Huck Finn with magic.”

Speer has had his own adventures and a bit of wanderlust.

He grew up in Dade City and graduated from Pasco High School.

A scholarship took him to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he earned a degree in mass communications. That wasn’t his first choice as a major.

“I had always had an interest in film,” he said. But the university didn’t have a film program, so he settled for classes in film theory.

He also landed a nine-week film production internship. He helped out when actor Paul Newman taped a public service announcement and again when Newman taped a special segment for a television show honoring actor and director John Huston.

One summer, in the midst of his college studies, Speer took a trip to Europe where he met his future wife. She was a native of Poland and for the next 20 years or so, Speer lived much of the time in his wife’s country.

At the time, Poland was a Communist state under martial law. Later, the Solidarity uprising brought a revolution and the end of Communism.

“The people had a special spirit about them at that time,” he said. “That was truly amazing.”

His son was born in Warsaw in 1984.

Speer learned Polish and got work in film production, largely hired by foreign film companies that chose Poland as a backdrop for their movies.

When his book was published in Poland, Speer appeared on television shows to promote sales. He also visited local Polish libraries.

“I was a big hit with the 10-year-old Polish kids,” he said.

In the early 2000s, Speer returned to Dade City and worked as a substitute teacher, and also for two years as a child protective investigator for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He works part-time now at a local home improvement store.

In his spare time, Speer keeps dreaming up new stories and maybe imagining more Simon Peppercorn adventures.

“I plan eventually to do a real series,” he said. “There are possibilities for many spin-offs, with many characters. I have the same dreams as every creative person.”

Published June 17, 2015

Unlicensed contractors not welcome in Pasco County

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Pasco County is cracking down on unlicensed contractors who leave residents on the hook for shoddy work, or who take the money and run without doing the job.

County officials and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office joined forces in October to launch a pilot program aimed at protecting consumers from unscrupulous contractors.

Licensed contractors also lobbied for tougher actions against competitors who don’t follow the rules, county officials said.

“Unlicensed contractors in Pasco County now risk felony charges in certain cases, as well as traditional financial penalties,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, speaking at a press conference to announce the pilot program. “When (licensed contractors) do things right, it’s not fair to compete with unlicensed contractors who undercut them and deliver an unsafe product.”

The county and sheriff’s office average 20 to 25 complaints a month, said Ainsley Caldwell, the county’s unlicensed contractor project manager.

Previously, a county building inspector would be pulled from regular duties and assigned to investigate complaints, Caldwell said. “Now we have a team that is dedicated full-time.”

That team is made up of Caldwell and a building inspector, code inspector and a detective from the sheriff’s economic crimes unit.

The Pasco county attorney’s office and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are assisting, too.

The pilot program, which has been approved to operate this fiscal year, has a $500,000 budget.

Investigations are often complaint-driven, but not always.

“We drive through neighborhoods and do spot checks,” Caldwell said.

Other building and code inspectors pass on information to the team about possible scams and the sheriff’s detective is advised as well, he said.

In many cases, county inspectors issue citations to contractors suspected of doing unlicensed work.

Caldwell said cases are heard by judges who can levy fines, require restitution and, in some cases, impose jail sentences.

The sheriff’s economic crimes unit staged a sting operation in November that led to the arrest of 11 men who were charged with workmen’s compensation fraud and unlicensed construction services. Both are felonies.

Between October and December 2014, there were 13 misdemeanor arrests and 11 felony arrests, said Shawn Rozankowski, a detective with the Pasco sheriff’s office. Since January, there have been 10 misdemeanor and 10 felony arrests, he said.

Besides protecting consumers from shoddy work, the program aims to educate residents about the risks involved in hiring unlicensed contractors.

The education efforts include speaking at neighborhood association meetings and developing an informational brochure.

It may seem cheaper to hire an unlicensed contractor, but it can prove to be very costly, Caldwell said.

“(People) are not aware they are hooking themselves up to significant liability issues,” Caldwell said.

If the unlicensed contractor falls off a ladder, for example, the person who hired him can be sued or be held responsible for medical bills, Caldwell said.

And, if building inspections done at a later date uncover work that was done without permits, the owner could face substantial penalties for “after-the-fact” permits, Caldwell said.

Other costs could result from having to repair work that wasn’t done properly.

There can be other risks as well.

Among the 11 men arrested in the sting operation, seven had prior criminal records including motor vehicle theft, forgery and domestic battery, county officials said.

To verify building permits and licensed contractors, visit the county’s website, PascoCountyFl.net and click on the appropriate links.

To find out more, or to report an unlicensed contractor (reports can be made anonymously), call (727) 847-2411, ext. 2692.

Clues to spot an unlicensed contractor
You are asked to obtain the permit.

  • The contractor tells you a permit is not necessary. Visit the Pasco County website, at PascoCountyFl.net, to verify whether either a permit or inspection is required.
  • The contractor is not willing to put a contract in writing.
  • You are asked for a large down payment before work begins, or you are asked to pay in cash.
  • The contractor cannot provide proof of insurance or a copy of his license. To verify a locally licensed contractor visit PascoCountyFl.net.
  • The contractor does not display a license number in contracts or advertisements or on business cards and business vehicles.
  • The contractor will work only at night and/or weekends.

Published February 25, 2015

Panelists identify gaps in mental health system

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Participants in a recent mental health panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes didn’t have any easy solutions for problems plaguing the delivery of mental health care to the nation’s most vulnerable people.

A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country. (Courtesy of Gus Bilirakis)
A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country. (Courtesy of Gus Bilirakis)

But they did point out several areas where changes could be made to help improve the level of care for those with mental health conditions, and to improve support for their families and loved ones.

The panel, convened by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, focused on mental health and substance abuse issues. It featured U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, a clinical psychologist and author of H.B. 3717, otherwise known as the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.

Bilirakis is among the co-signers on Murphy’s bill.

Too often people have thrown some money at the mental health care problem, added a program, and then walked away without making any real difference, Murphy told a crowd of about 100.

“We have to stop pretending that we can just wish this away,” Murphy said.

Like Murphy, Bilirakis said the time has come to find real solutions. The Palm Harbor Republican has learned from constituents that “we have a broken system with too many individuals falling through the cracks and not receiving the help that they need.

“We put a Band-Aid on it, but we don’t fix it,” Bilirakis said. “Enough is enough.”

Murphy said he’s heard from thousands of families across America, and their constant refrain is that there’s not enough help for people who are mentally ill. Under the current system, mentally ill people often can’t get help they need unless they go to jail.

“On any given day, half-a-million people in this nation are in jail with a mental illness,” Murphy said.

The problems of mental illness spill into other arenas, too, he added. The nation’s homeless population continues to swell, its suicide rates have increased, and many people with mental conditions have little or no prospect of work.

Panelists at the Dec. 16 session represented high-ranking officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office, Operation PAR, Baycare Behavioral Health, Medical Center of Trinity, the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Pinellas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pasco County Schools, the Trinity Pain Center and an advocate representing veterans needing mental health care.

Themes that emerged during the discussion included the need for:

  • Better hand-offs between various providers to ensure a continuum of care for people with mental health conditions
  • Short-term residential treatment centers to provide greater support for the mentally ill
  • Additional crisis intervention team training to help police and first responders better assist people with mental conditions
  • Help teach school district employees how to identify symptoms that may indicate mental illness in its earliest stages
  • Less bureaucracy in the way programs are administered and funded, so that people can be receive treatment when and where they need it
  • Additional research to find effective ways to treat mental conditions
  • Increased support to help families coping with the challenges posed by a family member’s mental condition

Some panelists pointed out specific areas that need reform. Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco, for example, believes changes are needed in the state’s Baker Act, which governs how long a person can be detained for a mental evaluation. The current maximum is 72 hours.

That, Nocco said, “is not long enough,” likening it to putting a bandage on a gushing wound.

Murphy agreed with that assessment.

“Who came up with 72 hours for mental illness?” he said, adding that the time limit “doesn’t make clinical sense.”

Medical Center of Trinity chief executive Leigh Massengill said she finds it shameful that, for many patients, the first introduction to the hospital’s behavioral care unit often is by virtue of the Baker Act.

One of the biggest frustrations is the lack of hand-offs in the community after these patients have been stabilized and released from the hospital’s behavioral care facility, Massengill said.

“That absolutely guarantees that they’re going to come back to us, or come back to somebody else, or wind up dead,” she said. “That’s unconscionable in my mind, in this day and time.”

Saybra Chapman, clinical coordinator for Pasco County Schools, noted that a primary issue that keeps surfacing is access to care and timely care.

“The problem for us is when students are waiting for care and not able to get ready services,” she said. “They are trying to function in the school setting, which is a challenge for everybody.”

While panelists discussed the gaps in services and funding issues, Roy Gifford reminded them hope remains for people with mental conditions. The 38-year-old has suffered from schizoaffective disorder for most of his life.

“I have been on almost every kind of medication possible since childhood,” Gifford said.

He’s lived in assisted living facilities, foster care homes, jails, and on the street.

“I often thought there was no hope for me,” Gifford said, acknowledging it was so bad at some points he tried to end his life.

He’s on a new medication now, and has accepted the fact he likely will be on medication the rest of his life.

“Remember, there is hope and recovery,” Gifford told those gathered. “I know it can be done. I am living proof.”

See this story in print: Click Here

Police body cameras coming to Pasco County

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While many law enforcement agencies around the country continue to debate whether they should have patrol officers wear body cameras or not, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office isn’t waiting any longer.

Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco introduces body cameras deputies in his department will wear beginning in February. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)
Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco introduces body cameras deputies in his department will wear beginning in February. (Michael Hinman/Staff photo)

More than 400 deputies and investigators will be equipped with body cameras beginning in February, a move Sheriff Chris Nocco says will make neighborhoods safer for deputies, and the people who live in them.

“This is not the panacea,” Nocco said during a news conference Thursday. “This is not going to be the cure-all for all the issues of our world. But it’s a tool, just like any other tool that we use in law enforcement.”

The sheriff’s office will use Taser Axon cameras, which can be mounted on glasses, hats, shirt fronts, collars, lapels and other locations. They will record both video and audio, with each unit able to hold four hours of video with a battery that lasts 12 hours.

At the end of each shift, deputies will connect their camera to a docking station, which will upload each video. And once they are in the system, they cannot be manipulated, and deputies will not be able to edit them.

The entire program is going to cost $400,000 a year — far less than what other neighboring agencies like the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is considering, Nocco said. Initial funds will come from federal forfeiture dollars, but future years will require funding through the Pasco County Commission using taxpayer dollars.

While the cost will increase for the sheriff’s office, Nocco says the cost benefits everywhere else will more than pay for it — especially when it comes to the judicial system.

“If used properly, this is going to save taxpayer dollars,” Nocco said. “This is going to alleviate an already overcrowded judicial system, and this is going to respect victims and ensure that people are brought to justice.”

Nocco cited studies in the United Kingdom where such technology has been used for the last few years, including one in Scotland where more than 70 percent of cases that involved body cameras were less likely to go to trial. A study two years ago in Rialto, California, saw complaints against law enforcement officers from 24 to just three. Also, cases that involved use of force also dropped from 61 to 25.

Because Nocco won’t need county money to fund the cameras, he won’t need to seek any approval from the county commission. However, he will need commissioners’ backing next fall when he works to add the $400,000 cost to his overall budget. Based on his requested budget amount from this past budget cycle, the cameras would represent less than a half percent of his total money request.

For more on the body cameras and what it means for Pasco County, be sure to read the Dec. 17 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

To see the body cameras in action during the recent test run by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, click here.

Schools, sheriff’s office form health pact

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Pasco County Schools and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office have signed an agreement to share the school district’s health and wellness centers.

“We are very excited about the partnership’s potential and that we are able to expand this very cost-effective, convenient health care program to also benefit the sheriff’s employees,” Pasco superintendent Kurt Browning said, in a release.

The district is adding space to its Land O’ Lakes center and adding another center in Wesley Chapel to provide the extra space needed to accommodate the additional utilization of services by school district and sheriff’s office staff members.

As part of the start-up, the sheriff’s office will have providers and a separate schedule for its employees, to ensure there is enough appointment capacity to provide services.

The agreement benefits the sheriff’s office because it has access to the district’s health and wellness centers. The district benefits because it is able to share some of the fixed overhead costs associated with operating the centers.

The existing centers are in Land O’ Lakes, Dade City, Hudson and New Port Richey.

Unlicensed contractor sting comes with warning from deputies

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A two-day sting between the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and some state regulatory agencies have put 11 people behind bars they say were unlicensed contractors in the county.

Of those 11 arrested, seven had previous criminal histories with charges that included robbery, vehicle theft, grant theft, forgery and drugs, sheriff’s deputies said. And with some looking to get some quick home construction work done as the holiday season approaches, the sheriff’s office is warning people against using unlicensed contractors.

Some of the problems that might come from using someone without a license, according the deputies, include:

• Poor qualifications — Unlicensed individuals have not demonstrated the education, insurance or qualification required of a licensed contractor. This can leave customers with poor quality work or unfinished projects, which means spending more money to hire another contractor to repair and finish.

• Possible criminal background — Unlicensed individuals often have criminal background that include fraud, theft, violent crimes, sexual offenses and substance abuse.

• Likelihood of being the victim of a scam — Unlicensed individuals often disappear with people’s money, leaving them with very few options to get the money back or the work completed.

• No coverage under homeowner policy — Most homeowner policies require that work be done by a licensed contractor, and provide no coverage for work that is not.

• Noncompliance with building codes — Most projects, even small ones, require permits and inspections that unlicensed contractors ignore, or are unfamiliar with. If a project is not permitted, or it does not comply with building codes, the work may have to be repaired or even removed, and the entire project could be subject to fines.

Customers looking to hire contractors can verify whether or not they are licensed by visiting MyFloridaLicense.com.

Sheriff’s Office to help schools prepare for tragedy

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is offering a four-hour training program to administrators and staff members at area schools in December, with the hopes of curbing some of the violence and safety issues at other schools around the nation.

The Dec. 15 event will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, 13651 Hays Road in Spring Hill. It will include discussion of topics like the emergency management cycle, multi-hazard planning for schools, threat and vulnerability assessments, crime prevention through environmental design, mass notification concepts, grant resources, and facilitating drills and exercises.

The first line of defense for schools is effective and purposeful planning, the sheriff’s office said in a release. The idea is to help schools develop their own emergency response plans, and identify vulnerabilities that school leaders can eliminate to help lessen the risk to students.

The cost of the training is free, and is open to “anyone involved in the safety and care of our students,” according to a sheriff’s office flier.

Those interested in taking part can register by sending an email with names of those attending, the institution name, and a contact phone number to Cpl. Donald Fly at .