News & Views: January - March 2024

NEWS AND VIEWS

LPN JANE DESANTO WINS THE EEMPY AWARD

The Covid years were challenging for the Pinellas County Jail, particularly in the Medical Division. On August 29, 2020, the Medical Division suffered its only loss of an employee during the pandemic – LPN Evelyn Edwards. Evelyn was known for her positivity, sense of empathy, wonderful personality, and willingness to provide the best care to her patients, regardless of the reason they were here in custody. Now, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has established an award in her memory. The Evelyn Edwards Medical Person of the Year award – affectionately known as the EEMPY – recognizes an outstanding member who exemplifies the best in all aspects of their day-to-day workings. It is open not just to nursing staff but to all members of the division.

“Her death had a major impact on the staff she left behind and she will never be forgotten,” said Health Services Administrator Thomas Carroll. “So it only made sense that as we developed a program to recognize a staff member for the work

they do throughout the year, that it be modeled on Evelyn’s approach to her work and bear her name.”

The winner of the 2023 EEMPY is LPN Jane DeSanto. A PCSO employee since 2002, Nurse DeSanto is held in high regard by her coworkers and supervisors alike.

In her nomination for Nurse DeSanto, LPN Michele Carter described the challenges of being a nurse in the jail. “There is no doubt that a correctional nurse’s compassion is tested daily. Caring for the inmate population is no easy task. We find ourselves caring for people who are at the lowest point in their lives and often project their frustration, sadness, and anger onto us without hesitation. To adhere to the code of ethics of the nursing profession that we pledge to uphold, we must have emotional endurance.”

Nurse Carter says that Nurse DeSanto exemplifies all the best qualities a healthcare worker needs in the jail. “With 21 years in correctional nursing, unwavering care,

resilient compassion, and integrity greater than that of Florence Nightingale herself, there is no person more deserving of the Evelyn Edwards Medical Person of the Year award than Nurse DeSanto.”

Nurse Carter said that she worked with both Evelyn Edwards and Nurse DeSanto when she was a new nurse at the jail. She discovered that they shared the same compassion for nursing, and she learned from them both. Like Evelyn, Nurse DeSanto always puts her patient’s safety and care first. “Her patient’s charges, no matter how heinous, never got in the way of her dedication to their care. No matter how rude, obnoxious, or difficult a patient was, her dedication and compassion never faltered.” Nurse DeSanto helped instill that emotional endurance in Nurse Carter and many other nurses she worked with.

Carroll said, “In establishing the award, we sought financial backing from one of our bigger vendors, 1st Choice Pharmacy, which provides PCSO with its pharmaceutical medications for our inmate population. They signed on to provide, on an annual basis, the funding for the monetary prize of $1,000 dollars as well as a crystal trophy for the winner to take home and a wall plaque to be installed in the Healthcare Building that will be updated annually as new winners are announced.” The winner also gets two paid administrative days off.

“Florence Nightingale once said, ‘I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.’ Nurse DeSanto does just that in her career at the PCJ. It is easy to say that you are devoted towards the welfare of those who are committed to our care, but it is difficult to show that devotion in your day-to-day duties. Nurse DeSanto puts her devotion into action daily with her patients.”

LPN Jane DeSanto was honored as Medical Person of the Year.

QUARTERLY BRIGHT STAR AWARDS

DEPUTY ASHLEY ROWBACK, LAW ENFORCEMENT

Deputy Ashley Rowback was recognized for talking a suicidal subject through their crisis. She responded after the caller stated her husband had transferred all his savings, quit his job, and was at their residence with a gun and planning to kill himself. Deputy Rowback established a line of communication over the phone and persuaded him to leave his residence, unarmed, where he was taken safely into protective custody. A loaded handgun and suicide note were later found on the bed. Deputy Rowback’s ability to communicate in a caring and professional manner directly resulted in saving the suicidal subject’s life.

DEPUTY ADEL KLJAJIC AND CORPORAL ANELA HOPOVAC, DEPARTMENT OF DETENTION AND CORRECTIONS

Deputy Adel Kljajic and Corporal Anela Hopovac were recognized for assisting with translation on a homicide. The family involved was of Bosnian descent, and some spoke little to no English. Corporal Anela Hopovac assisted with interviewing the victim’s father, who spoke no English, and during the interview they realized that what first appeared to be a suicide was actually a homicide. Deputy Adel Kljajic assisted in interviewing the suspect, providing crucial cultural awareness and insightful suggestions. Both deputies’ understanding of the suspect’s and family’s cultural background were instrumental in an investigation that ended with a confession of murder.

MANNY WOLFE, CIVILIAN

Social worker Manny Wolfe was recognized for his dedication to improving the Batterers Intervention Program (BIP). When state statutes changed, he had to undergo a complex certification process so he could continue the program without interruption. According to the DCF Office of Domestic Violence, our agency is the first and only jail in the state to receive BIP certification. A BIP Certification Specialist said our program is unique, and PCSO entered “uncharted territory” due to its setting in a correctional environment. Manny Wolfe is now a certified facilitator, and he mentors others seeking certification.

Meet On-Site with Worker’s Compensation Claims Adjuster

Renee Eicher, PCSO worker’s compensation claims adjuster, will now be on-site every Thursday in Human Resources at the SAB. Renee has been working as a worker’s compensation claims adjuster with Davies (previously Johns Eastern) for six years, and has been our dedicated PCSO claims adjuster since 2022.

GIVE BLOOD, SAVE A LIFE

DURING THE FEBRUARY BLOOD DRIVE, 20 OF OUR PCSO MEMBERS STEPPED UP TO DONATE. We had set a goal of 16 blood donors and were pleased that even more people showed up. In total, 15 units of blood were collected which translates to a potential impact on 45 lives in our community. Thank you to everyone who donated blood.

OUR NEXT BLOOD DRIVE WILL BE AT THE WELLNESS FAIR ON JULY 16TH AND 17TH. Be on the lookout for flyers with information on how to sign up to donate. There are some things you can do on the day of your donation to make the process easier.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water – a blood draw will be easier if you are well hydrated. It will make your veins easier to access, and speed up the donation.

Eat well-balanced, iron-rich meals, especially the morning before donating.

Make sure you limit your caffeine intake that day. You don’t have to avoid your cup of coffee, but don’t have it in excess.

Renee will be in the HR Benefits Office, Room 126. Please schedule appointments with her directly at 800-476-3044, Ext. 1323, or renee.eicher@us.davies-group.com.

Bring your ID with you onto the bus!

We’re here to help lessen the learning curve and keep you in the know. So, if there’s a specific topic you’d like to see featured in a future edition of News & Views, submit your suggestions to proud@pcsonet.com.

HR IS TOTALLY TUBULAR WITH BODACIOUS 80S-THEMED WELLNESS FAIR

Annual Benefits Open Enrollment will take place from July 16th to July 26th this year with a gnarly twist – combined with a 1980s-themed Wellness Fair!

The fair will be on Tuesday, July 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the SAB, and on Wednesday, July 17th from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at DDC North Readoff.

So dust off your cassettes, tease up your hair, and book it to the Totally 80’s Wellness Fair!

This year you will be able to meet with representatives from our benefit providers including health, dental, life insurance, deferred compensation, and Aflac. We will also be offering additional vendors, including the One Blood Bus, the BayCare Bus, Pinellas County Animal Services, a fantabulous workout class, giveaways, raffles, and a special cold treat just for visiting. Contact Human Resources with questions.

Explore the Agency with the Administrative Support Team

BY LAURA L. SULLIVAN

You don’t have to have “Admin” in your title to join the Administrative Support Team, says Senior Executive Assistant Sharon Johnson, who works on the third floor in the Office of the Sheriff. “We didn’t want to limit it to one type of job, to just someone with that title. We want anyone who has similar duties regardless of their title to be able to come together to learn and share information.”

The Administrative Support Team is her brainchild. Founded in 2021, it helps our members strengthen their skills and expand their horizons. Some of it is educational –how to handle things like payroll, or writing memos, or scanning and saving documents in ways that are consistent throughout the agency. But the goal of the team goes far beyond that.

“I wanted to be able to connect with other people in the agency. Most of the time people stay in their own silos, they don’t necessarily go outside of that unless they do Citizens Academy. They don’t know what other people here do.” So the team also hosts Lunch and Learns, and field trips to other areas of the agency where they can learn the intricacies of other members’ jobs. Understanding the agency not only helps them do their own job better, it also gives

them an idea where else they can move within the agency.

“We want to keep you,” she said. “If you decide you want to move around the agency we give you some options to think about. You can’t always tell from the job posting what the job is actually like.” But if they meet their counterparts in other areas of the agency they might be inspired as their skills and aspirations evolve over their careers. So far, the team has had field trips to Purchasing and the jail, and received presentations by the Communications Center, Negotiator Response Team, and Director Crockett of the Public Relations Bureau. They’re planning to visit Judicial Operations in the next few months.

One of the most important aspects of the team is simply forming relationships with people from all around the agency. You might not know new members, or you both might have been here for 20 years and just know each other’s name, or talk on the phone without ever having met in person. Forming a personal connection makes the job more rewarding. “We’re all here to answer questions and help each other out. Ultimately we all do the same job. We’re all on the same team, and we want everyone to succeed.”

PAT Renovations Level the Playing Field

BY LAURA L. SULLIVAN

Every year, approximately 1,500 members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) run the Physical Abilities Test (PAT).

Each sworn member has to navigate the course that includes not only running, but an obstacle course with a wall, serpentine, and low crawl, plus what many members find to be the most challenging part, the 150-pound sled drag. Members must complete the course in 6:04, with a time of 3:09 or less earning a $100 incentive bonus. Recently, the obstacle course and sled drag have had some renovations that include artificial turf – and those changes are much appreciated by the members who take the test.

“Prior to the turf being installed, one of the challenges we encountered was a continuously evolving surface that was relatively inconsistent,” said Training Division Corporal Nic RamaSanto. “The highly trafficked area, combined with the Florida environment, contributed to wear and tear on the grass, inevitably turning the field into loose dirt or sand in some portions.” That not only made the course less safe, it also meant that changing conditions didn’t make for a level playing field. If your qualification came during a dry period the conditions could be very different than during the rainy season.

The unpredictable conditions were also seen in the sled pull. “The 150-pound sled would create divots and ruts in the ground making it more difficult to pull 50 feet.”

Now, that entire area is covered in artificial turf so that every member will have uniform conditions despite the season. “The new turfed portion provides a consistent surface that is not only a safer but also cleaner area,” Corporal RamaSanto said. “The Training Division constantly strives to produce the best product for our agency and the citizens of Pinellas County. To do so, it is imperative that we stay on par with the best training

equipment and facilities for our agency members.”

The improvements have been in the works for about two years. “Once the idea came to fruition, we were tasked with sourcing different companies to come out and give us a quote to revamp the area. The Training Division proposed the upgrade during the 2023-2024 budget process. Once approved, we selected the company that was most fiscally reasonable and provided the best warranty.”

Setting up the turf was a multi-day endeavor. “Prior to the installation of the new turf, the ground was prepped, and a crushed concrete material was brought in to level the area. We also did away with the rubber material at the low crawl portion. All the obstacles are still in the same place, as the turf was custom fit to the 25-foot by 90foot section.”

The DDC Support Services Division lent a helping hand to give the sled a makeover too. Now it looks slick with new paint, new chains, and some minor welding repairs.

The response has been positive from the members who have tried the new course. “The only complaint I’ve heard is that it should have been done 10 years ago!”

It looks like the new surface will be good for PAT times too. “With the improved traction on the turf and smooth surface, the PAT times have dropped by a few seconds.” Since the renovation we even have a new record holder. In March, Deputy Johnathan Harr of the Canine Unit smashed the record with a time of 1:51. The record had previously been jointly held by Corporal Nicholas Dinkins and Deputy Wyeth Whitehurst at 1:56.

“I knew if I pushed myself, I could beat the record,” said Deputy Harr. “My previous time was 2:07.” Although he trains consistently and always pushes himself, he gives some credit to the renovations. “The course was smooth through the obstacles which I’m sure helped with the time.”

There has been a new interest in record setting throughout the agency, with friendly competition between Patrol and DDC, and among the specialized units, so don’t be surprised if the best time drops even lower this year. “Whether this can be contributed to the new turf, or the previous challenge, is yet to be determined!” said Corporal RamaSanto.

Deputy Harr thinks that someone will beat his record… eventually. “I would tell them to push themselves, and good luck.”

Corporal Nic RamaSanto drags the sled over our new turf at the PAT course.

Airport Unit Deputies Are Our Eyes at PIE

BY LAURA L. SULLIVAN

For a man who had his pilot’s license before he had his driver license, working in the Airport Unit is a natural fit.

Originally from Israel, Ron Levy was in high school in the U.S. when he decided to learn to fly. “A lot of my buddies owned cars. I decided I’d fly an airplane.” He didn’t fly commercially, but aviation was always a passion. “Working at the airport is a nobrainer, because I understand it. I know FAA rules, and I understand it from the law enforcement side.”

There is definitely a customer service aspect to the job. “We’re usually the first thing that people see when they come in to the airport. We’re the face of the agency here. We spend a lot of the day interacting with the flying public, and the people who work at the airport – people from the airline or TSA.”

The vast majority of the time, those interactions are pleasant. While we toured the airport, people greeted the deputies with a smile, thanked them for their service, and made the typical civilian quip, “I didn’t do it!” Airport Unit deputies were stopped for directions, information about parking, meeting flights, and how to check in. They check the schedules throughout the day so they always have up-to-date flight information at their fingertips.

Airport Unit Sergeant Jake Viano, whose 24 years with PCSO have included stints in SWAT, Narcotics, and K-9, says, “I really appreciate the role we have out here. There are smiling faces. Everyone is glad to see us for the most part. It’s a nice treat. In patrol, deputies tend to have contact with people when they’re either on their worst day or they’re having some kind of crisis. Here we’re lucky in the fact that the contact we have with people is for the most part positive, and it’s on good terms, and everyone is happy.”

But the deputies take security very seriously at PIE. They get called for unruly passengers,

or travelers who are upset they missed their flight, or whose bags are too heavy. They might also get called if someone has too much to drink on the plane, or before boarding. “If the employees can’t deescalate, we come by and help calm things down,” Corporal Levy said. “Mostly it’s peaceful. People just want to go about their business.”

There have been some scary moments. “We had a passenger who had rechargeable batteries, and as he came through his bag started smoking. When he opened up the bags – whoosh!” Luckily it wasn’t a bomb, but they had to take quick action. Their response always has to have the worst possibility in mind. On the morning of my visit, a passenger located a knife in the luggage compartment of a plane. Though they eventually determined it was accidentally left by someone doing maintenance, they treated the incident as a security breach until they knew otherwise. That means evacuating everyone from the plane and rescreening them.

Many of the crimes are similar to those seen in patrol. “We had an arrest first thing this

morning for a loiterer in the parking lot. Last night we had an arrest for disorderly conduct.” Not long ago, a man experiencing a mental health crisis tried to board a plane with a six-month-old baby in his arms. It was a tense situation, and Airport Unit deputies had to talk him into safely handing over the child before placing him in protective custody.

There is danger on the runways, too. “You’d be surprised how many aircraft alerts we get,” said Sergeant Viano. “Probably two or three a month since I’ve been out here where the tower notifies us that we have a plane coming in with some kind of engine failure or a mechanical issue.” When an aircraft radios that it has a problem it gets cleared for priority landing and ground crews, including Airport Unit deputies, are ready to respond. “If we get an alert, we position ourselves with FD by the runway in case there is an actual crash.” They’ve seen private planes that run out of fuel land on fumes, while others forget to put their landing gear down. Fortunately, crashes are rare. “It’s amazing to me how resilient aircraft really are. They can have problems, but there are so many redundancies.”

The Airport Unit keeps the St. Pete Clearwater Airport safe.

Corporal Levy said that if there is an actual crash, PCSO plays a role too. “We go out and assist, we secure the scene, take photos, help with documentation, collect information, and write a report that is available to NTSB for their complete investigation.”

Recently, a private plane crashed into a home in Clearwater. “The communication was coming out of Tampa,” Corporal Levy said. “They were getting ready to hand them over to the PIE tower, but it never happened.” Firefighters from the airport responded to the crash – they have to respond to any plane crash within a five-mile radius of the airport. “They were the second unit on the scene and were instrumental in not letting the fire spread to a second home.” Some aviation fuel burns too hot for traditional firefighting equipment to easily handle, but the airport FD is prepared for that level of intensity and quickly controlled the flames.

Working at the airport is anything but sedentary. “We’re on our feet almost all day,” said Corporal Levy. “The only time we’re off our feet is when we get into our cars and do perimeter checks. We may drive outside the fencing, or the interior perimeter where we drive along the runways.” They have a pickup truck and a Tahoe assigned to the airport so they can quickly respond out to the field for any emergency. They use the airfield radio so they can contact the tower directly to report trouble, or to coordinate their movement when they pass through runway safety zones.

As they drive the perimeter they’re on the lookout for intruders, damaged fencing, or anything that might interfere with the safety of aviation. With its proximity to the bay and low-lying marshy areas the airport is a haven for birds – little blue herons, tricolored herons, and flocks of ibis – which is fine as long as they stay off the runway. When they present a hazard, the deputies sometimes have to shoo the birds away.

The airport property extends far beyond the terminal. It includes a flight school, as well as hangars that are owned by private individuals. “We also provide security for the

U.S. Coast Guard, and for the Army Reserve,” Corporal Levy said. The U.S. Army Reserve operates an Army Aviation Support Facility. Blackhawk helicopters used to fly out of that facility, though now it is primarily used to fly VIPs.

Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater is the biggest Coast Guard air station in the country, with about 700 personnel. You’ve no doubt seen their orange and white Jayhawk helicopters, and until recently the C-130 Hercules planes which are on their way to retirement, to be replaced locally by the two-engine C-27.

Even though those are both military facilities, the PCSO Airport Unit will respond to any criminal activity there. Trespassing is a problem, even though most trespassers aren’t there with malicious intent. Proximity to the jail and to Safe Harbor means that the airport grounds are sometimes seen as an attractive isolated area for homeless people or those with mental health issues.

In one incident, a person in a stolen vehicle crashed through an airport fence and was driving around the commercial airliners. When they saw the Airport Unit swiftly responding, they crashed through a second gate into the Coast Guard facility, where they ditched their car in a hangar and had the brilliant inspiration to escape in a C-130. The only obstacle to that scheme was a complete lack of knowledge about aircraft, so they couldn’t figure out how to do more than open the door, and were quickly apprehended by members of the Airport Unit and the PCSO Flight Unit, which also has its hangar on the airport property.

There’s a lot of history at PIE. It was built during WWII. Then known as the Pinellas Army Airfield, it was home to the 304th Fighter Squadron, a combat training unit whose P-40 Warhawks and P-51 Mustangs also flew anti-submarine missions in the Gulf of Mexico. It is fitting that an airport with such military history is now the point of departure for Honor Flight West Central Florida. Honor Flights bring veterans to

Washington, DC free of charge on a special one-day flight to our nation’s capital so they can visit the memorials that honor them.

After the war it was returned to the county and called Pinellas International Airport – though it was given the designation PIE because the Peoria International Airport had already lay claim to PIA. Our memorable moniker gave us much better marketing opportunities, not to mention the ability to name the PIE parking lots Strawberry and Key Lime.

The airport has changed a lot from the days when you could walk directly from the parking lot, under an open-air roof and out onto the tarmac to board. “In 1952 there were no walls – you could walk straight out to the aircraft,” said Corporal Levy. “As long as you had your ticket, no one would stop you.” Now the airport has 12 gates and is one of the major hubs for Allegiant Air. “They’ve built their own maintenance facility here. They’ve put down roots.” About 2.5 million people pass through PIE every year, and that number is expected to steadily grow. There are plans for expansion to accommodate the increased traffic. The whole expansion may take about 10 years and will include jet bridges, and more areas for planes to be parked, so additional airlines might start flying out of PIE. There’s also talk of a parking garage... though no word yet on what kind of pie it will be named after.

The site for the new PCSO hangar has already been marked, and after a delay for soil remediation, construction is expected to begin soon.

There’s long PCSO history at the airport, too. It was the site of our main administration building until 1975. You may hear deputies who have been around a while use the term “West End” when referring to the restroom. That phrase has its origins in the old airport Sheriff’s Office location, when the bathrooms were literally at the west end of the building. Next time you’re there, pay a visit to the second floor and have the original West End experience for yourself!

New Fitness Specialist Has Passion For His Job

BY LAURA L. SULLIVAN

PCSO’s new Fitness Specialist Juan Ampudia Cosme has been passionate about the gym from a young age. “Going through a rough childhood,

this was a therapy for me. It was a place to come and relax, to balance all my energy.”

In 2017 he completed an eight month certification program. “I graduated with 600 hours of practice and knowledge of anatomy.” He worked with a wide variety of people with specialized needs. “I worked with ladies who were pregnant, people with asthma, all kinds of injuries, osteoporosis. It was a very intense school.”

Right after that, he put his passion into practice at the Palm Harbor YMCA as a personal trainer. He worked a lot of events and really got to know the community. “I just want to transfer that passion to people, to help them learn to take care of their

bodies. If they can take care of themselves, they can take care of their family, their work – everything.” When the pandemic hit he was laid off and decided to open his own personal training business. “A lot of people got frustrated because they couldn’t go to the gym, and it affected a lot of people mentally. I started a mobile business where I could go to them, to parks, to the beach – everything was outdoors. I was able to provide that service to the community so they could stay active.”

Juan always had an interest in law enforcement, but with his wife on active

duty in the Army and three kids at home, they didn’t want to both be away working crazy hours. And when he talked to his friend Lieutenant Bill Angus about becoming a deputy, he told him you’re so good at what you do, you shouldn’t stop doing it. Then the Fitness Specialist position opened up here – a perfect melding of both of Juan’s interests. “I can bring my passion into the environment I love. This is my dream job.” In his new role here at PCSO, Juan gets the best of both worlds.

“I want to be essential,” he said. “I want people to be able to say they’re performing better on the job because of me. What I bring here is more than just telling you what exercises to do. I want to have a more comprehensive effect.”

Being fit is a challenge for deputies. They never know when their life is going to be on the line, and everything suddenly depends on their level of training and fitness. On the other hand, they’re sitting and driving for a lot of their day, and the long hours make it hard to find the motivation to work out. “It is important for them to get out of their comfort zone,” Juan said. “I want to be their motivation. It’s tough, and I totally get it. If you have someone there encouraging you, it is harder to quit. I’ll jump in on the training, I’ll do it right alongside of them. They think they have to be here every day, and that’s too intimidating. I say no, three days a week. Start with that. Let’s schedule this. And I just give them the plan right there.”

He doesn’t give them the chance to consider it but sets up the schedule right away. His philosophy is that once you’re committed and accountable to someone, you’re more

It’s leg day for Administrative Coordinator Carol Richardson, as she works with our new fitness specialist.

likely to persevere. “I don’t let them think too much. Then once they come in and start exercising they say oh, this is good, I can do this!” He motivates civilians and deputies the same way.

“It’s so important not only to motivate them, but to listen to what they want. What are their actual goals?” Everybody thinks they want to lose weight, but maybe after a conversation he learns they actually want a more functional body, to not hurt every time they stand up. “I need to understand what their goals are and then push them to reach those goals.” He can customize everything to the individual, whether they are a longtime gym rat looking to maximize their performance, or someone who has never set foot in a gym before. He has an app that he can send them workouts through. It includes pictures of each exercise, logs their progress, and also lets him keep track of what they accomplish at each workout. Everything is quantified so they can track their progress.

He’ll have beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts that change every month which people can get through the app, or through printouts available in the gym. So far he’s been working with individuals or people who have gotten a group of friends together, but soon he’ll offer formal classes too. He’s been moving the machines around to optimize the experience, and he’s bringing in innovations to make working out more fun. Planks are tedious, but he has a board that lets you play games on your phone as you balance. “It makes you work your core so hard. I have a lot of ideas and equipment that I’d like to bring in to keep it exciting. I want people to be excited to come into the gym every time, to ask, what’s new today?”

Juan is already getting a lot of appreciation from our members. “I do this from my heart,” he said. “I never feel like I’m working, because I’ve loved to do this ever since I was 14 years old.”

You can contact Juan at 580-3552 or jampudia-cosme@pcsonet.com.

MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION

BY JUAN AMPUDIA COSME

WHAT IS MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION?

Mind Muscle Connection or MMC is a psychological aspect of training in which you focus on feeling each rep and recruiting specific muscles. It is about more than just going through the motions of each movement, but rather, focusing on a conscious and deliberate muscular contraction. This mental focus can increase the recruitment of muscle fibers during an exercise and make it easier to isolate specific muscles. With this method, you make every rep count.

MUSCLE CONTRACTION EXPLAINED.

Muscle contraction, or the recruitment of specific muscle fibers, begins with our brain. The main neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that is released by the brain to signal a muscle to contract is called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine travels to the neuromuscular junction, the location site where neurons and muscles communicate and the place where you can technically say mind-muscle connection occurs. At this junction, acetylcholine crosses over a small space between the synapses of neurons, called the synaptic cleft, and binds to the designated muscle fiber of a muscle. Muscle is composed of numerous muscle fibers and developing our mind-muscle connection can help increase the recruitment of those fibers when performing weight bearing exercises and improve our overall exercise performance. The more muscle fibers we can recruit during that exercise, the greater output or strength the muscle will have.

NOT CONVINCED YET? WE HAVE PROOF.

A recent study, using electromyography (EMG), tested whether load and form dictate muscle activation or whether it is possible to use mind-muscle connection to mentally steer neural drive towards some muscles and away from others. They performed a variety of lower and upper body exercises with the same weight and form but focused on activating different muscles each time. For example, they performed the squat once with the mental focus on activating the glutes and once with the mental focus on activating the quads.

What they found is that advanced lifters can steer neural drive to and away from specific muscles without significantly altering form. The tests showed that when focusing on the glutes while performing a squat, the activation of the glutes was significantly higher than when focusing on the quads.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS ACTIVATION MEAN FOR YOUR GAINS?

In another study it was found that training with a focus on mind-muscle connection led to a significant increase in gains compared to performing the same training program with proper form, but without mind-muscle connection.

This study took place over eight weeks and involved two groups of inexperienced lifters. Both groups performed the same training program and executed each exercise with the same form. The only difference was that one group was told to focus on activating specific muscles while performing certain exercises and the other group was told to simply focus on lifting the weight. The group that focused on mind-muscle connection saw greater increases in strength over the eight-week period.

Corinne Cesino

1/12/24, 16 years of service.

Doreen Ferrio

2/15/24, 22 years of service.

Teresa Fry

1/5/24, 10 years of service.

Maria Gonzalez

2/1/24, 11 years of service.

Robert Henderson

2/2/24, 17 years of service.

Peggy Henderson

2/15/24, 22 years of service.

Frederick King

1/8/24, 21 years of service.

Renee Marshall

1/11/24, 17 years of service.

Julie Philbin

1/12/24, 11 years of service.

John Philbin

3/8/24, 25 years of service.

Kit Reiter

1/5/24, 12 years of service.

David Richardson

3/31/24, 19 years of service.

Nancy Sarka

3/8/24, 7 years of service.

Carolyn Tarsitano

3/1/24, 25 years of service.

Amy TenBieg

1/12/24, 25 years of service.

Mark Waterhouse

3/1/24, 12 years of service.

Kurt Whiting

2/15/24, 25 years of service.

Stacie Wilder

1/16/24, 30 years of service.

NEW HIRES

Arlin Acosta

Fiscal Technician

Fiscal Affairs Bureau

Jose Alvarez

Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

Katherine Anderson

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Aaron Andreas

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Nicholas Areostatico Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

James Barnes

Criminal Justice Specialist JOB Judicial Operations Bureau

Candace Benjamin

Inmate Records Specialist I Support & Health Services Bureau

Justin Bennett Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Zachary Boesch

Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

Marilyn Chauca Calle

Fingerprint Technician

Support Services Bureau

Cierra Cartagena

Fingerprint Technician

Support Services Bureau

Diane Charles

School Crossing Guard

Patrol Operations Bureau

Sara Ciechowski

Licensed Practical Nurse

Support & Health Services Bureau

Ricki Cooper

Inmate Property Technician

Support & Health Services Bureau

Juan Ampudia Cosme

Fitness Specialist Support Services Bureau

Kimberly Dicken

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Allison Downs

Public Records Specialist

Chief Deputy

Robin Ernst

Inmate Records Specialist I Support & Health Services Bureau

Ebonie Evans Administrative Assistant Human Resources Bureau

Dominic Felicetta Criminal Justice Specialist Judicial Operations Bureau

Robert Fink

Inmate Records Specialist I Support & Health Services Bureau

Shannon Forcade

Administrative Assistant Patrol Operations Bureau

Peter Garas

Information Technologist Information Technology Bureau

Frank Gaughen III

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Renjith George

Administrative Assistant Support & Health Services Bureau

Jeff Goliber

Information Technologist Information Technology Bureau

Steven Grudis

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Iris Hargrove

Claims Analyst General Counsel

Sabrina Hazime

Deputy - LEO FTO

Patrol Operations Bureau

Sherri Hines

Records Technician II Support Services Bureau

JoAnn Holliday

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Riley Jensen Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

Richard Johnson

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Jessie Kirkendall

Deputy Recruit

Patrol Operations Bureau

Rhonda Lewis

Court Processing Technician II

Judicial Operations Bureau

Andrew Lugo

Inmate Records Specialist III

Support & Health Services Bureau

Sarah Martin

Forensic Science Specialist

Support Services Bureau

Cecelia McCabe

School Crossing Guard

Patrol Operations Bureau

Kayla Meder

Court Processing Technician II

Judicial Operations Bureau

Erick Mejia

Deputy Department of Detention & Corrections

Sean Messenger

Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

Vianka Nieves

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Darrell Ohrmund

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Yashi Ohrmund

Information Technologist

Information Technology Bureau

Adrianna Pianka

Public Safety Telecommunicator

Support Services Bureau

Desire Ramos

Deputy - LEO FTO

Patrol Operations Bureau

Janina Mariel Reyes

Medical Assistant

Support & Health Services Bureau

Naketta Riess

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Nelson Roman

School Crossing Guard

Patrol Operations Bureau

Ivan Rodriguez-Ramos

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Christopher Sahagian

Public Records Specialist

Chief Deputy

Mary Sharp

School Crossing Guard

Patrol Operations Bureau

Sara Sidor

Forensic Science Specialist

Support Services Bureau

Cleveland Smith

School Crossing Guard

Patrol Operations Bureau

Tyler Strong

Classification Specialist

Support & Health Services Bureau

Victoria Suchocki

Records Technician I

Support Services Bureau

Sydni Sukys

Licensed Practical Nurse

Support & Health Services Bureau

Ronan Tallet

Criminal Justice Specialist

Department of Detention & Corrections

Jeremy Terry

Deputy

Department of Detention & Corrections

Ted Thompson

Reserve Deputy

Patrol Operations Bureau

Donald Tringali

Criminal Justice Specialist JOB

Judicial Operations Bureau

Minhua Wang

PRIME GIS Analyst

PRIME

Clayton Whiteley

Criminal Justice Specialist

Department of Detention & Corrections

Raymond Whiteley

Warehouse Operations Technician Support Services Bureau

Alexis Wilt

Deputy Recruit Patrol Operations Bureau

Sandra Fisher Wiza

School Crossing Guard Patrol Operations Bureau

Bryan Wojciechowski

Public Safety Telecommunicator

Support Services Bureau

Hejira Wolverton

Inmate Records Specialist I Support & Health Services Bureau

Julia Yardy

Licensed Practical Nurse

Support & Health Services Bureau

Before 1975, PCSO’s main headquarters was the Airport Office (APO) at the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport. Here are some photos from that bygone era.

from upper left: Sheriff Don Genung shows off our new cruisers at the APO in 1960. Before 1960 when we merged with County Patrol, the sheriff’s office had no patrol function. • The 1963 patrol shift consisted of Sergeant Harmon Stevenson, Deputy Dave Roberts, Deputy Al Alford, Deputy Don Anderson, and Deputy Howard Owens. • Deputy Phil Wright sits in a bubble-light cruiser at the APO. • The full new fleet is on display at the APO in 1959 • Sergeant Tommy “Catfish” Johnson wrangles a gator at the APO while Detective Monty

looks on from his 1961 Chevy.

Information/photos provided by PCSO Archive Historian Penny Cooke.

Clockwise

Johns