Issue 4: October – December 2019
Featured: The Great American Teach-In Member Appreciation Picnic SWAT Team Achieves Highest Ranking
What division houses 350,000 items every year? The answer is on page 11.
During an early morning at Target, members prepare to shop for families as part of the Sheriff’s Christmas Sharing Project.
October - December 2019
Pinellas County
Sheriff’s Office
A publication of the External and Legislative Affairs Section of the Public Relations Bureau Editor Joanna Cheshire Assistant Editor/Writer Michelle Whiting Designer Tracey Welch
CONTRIBUTORS Penny Cooke
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Congratulations to the members who were recognized by community groups.
Sergeant Freddie Hayes Jr., First Responder of the Year, Congressman Gus Bilirakis 12th Congressional District Sergeant Freddie Hayes Jr. continues to go above and beyond his required duties and serve with local charities and community groups, such as Help Us Gather (HUG), a nonprofit committed to providing friendship and inclusion for those with disabilities. Beyond giving hugs and forming friendships with community members, Sergeant Hayes also serves with the Honor Guard Team and attends memorials, funerals, parades, and other events throughout Pinellas County. In addition, Sergeant Hayes is an active member and instructor on the Corrections Response Team. Sergeant Hayes Jr. has received this award for his positive and humble attitude that not only makes him a great mentor, but also a team player who is willing to work hard to get the job done.
Deputy Travis Sibley, 2019 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce Deputy Sibley was recognized for his heroic actions as described below in the Quarterly Bright Star Awards.
Deputy Patrick Krager, Outstanding Deputy Award 2019, Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge Deputy Krager is highly involved with the St. Pete Beach community. He has helped reduce criminal activity on St. Pete Beach by issuing many code enforcement citations regarding disorderly beach-goers, and regularly meets with St. Pete Beach residents and business owners to identify and resolve their concerns. Deputy Krager received this award for these achievements as well as being a good example to other deputies.
QUARTERLY BRIGHT STAR AWARDS Deputy Travis Sibley, Bright Star Award, Law Enforcement On September 19th, Deputy Sibley was driving Eastbound on Curlew Road when he saw a vehicle travel into the center of the intersection and into oncoming traffic. A second vehicle collided with it and caused it to spin in the other direction. When it accelerated into oncoming traffic, Deputy Sibley made a quick decision and drove his cruiser into the vehicle to stop it. Deputy Sibley’s quick actions and quick thinking helped prevent a major accident and casualties.
Deputy Donald Denbow, Bright Star Award, Detention As a member of the Specialist Unit, Deputy Denbow has displayed dedication, passion, and hard work in completing special projects for many parts of the agency, including SWAT, the Marine Unit, and the Forensic Sciences Division. His exceptional work has also been essential in permitting the sheriff’s office to reallocate funds to various parts of the agency that need fiscal support.
Nayana Garnica, Bright Star Award, Support As a fluent Spanish speaker in the Child Protection Investigation Division, Nayana is always willing to take on assignments involving Spanish speaking families. One of her cases involved a teenager who was a victim of human trafficking. Nayana assisted the teenager in processing the trauma in his native language and provided muchneeded emotional support.
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October - December 2019
TRANSITIONS
Changes In The Troops
Due to the changing number of entries in this edition, we apologize for any unintended omissions. For promotions, transfers, and new hires, go to SONET, “Administration,” “Human Resources,” “Changes in the Troops.”
RETIREMENTS The following is a list of members and their official retirement dates. Some members opted to use accrued time and leave early, but their official retirement date is listed below.
OCTOBER 2019
Terry Dyar retired on 10/10/2019 after 26 years of service. Lucille Hammer retired on 10/14/2019 after 10 years of service. Carrie Keesecker retired on 10/25/2019 after 17 years of service. John Mauro retired on 10/18/2019 after 29 years of service. Wade Moore retired on 10/31/2019 after 20 years of service. Janet Nicolosi retired on 10/31/2019 after 27 years of service. Captain Jack Peterson retired on 10/31/2019 after 33 years of service. Corporal Susan Phibbs retired on 10/25/2019 after 33 years of service. Linda Roberts retired on 10/21/2019 after 21 years of service. Captain Kurt Romanosky retired on 10/11/2019 after 28 years of service. Deputy Reed Roosevelt retired on 10/31/2019 after 30 years of service. Chris Scrivens retired on 10/25/2019 after 20 years of service. Mary Underwood retired on 10/4/2019 after 13 years of service. Paula Vandalen retired on 10/18/2019 after 31 years of service.
NOVEMBER 2019
Corporal Deb Bell retired on 11/28/2019 after 18 years of service. Deputy Timothy Brown retired on 11/4/2019 after 5 years of service. Deputy Scott Dietsch retired on 11/8/2019 after 24 years of service. Terri Gardner retired on 11/29/2019 after 15 years of service. Deputy Robert Isham, Jr. retired on 11/30/2019 after 30 years of service. Carol Luszcz retired on 11/14/2019 after 9 years of service. David Motta retired on 11/30/2019 after 20 years of service.
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Captain Romanosky and Sheriff Gualtieri
DECEMBER 2019 Deputy Al Alfisi, retired 12/20/2019 after 6 years of service. Sergeant George Byrd, retired 12/31/2019 after 16 years of service. Lieutenant Sheila Christian, retired 12/20/2019 after 30 years of service. Kathy Durrett, retired 12/27/2019 after 22 years of service. Deputy Tieasha Gilbert, retired 12/16/2019 after 6 years of service. Corporal Dave Goldberg, retired 12/12/2019 after 20 years of service. Jennifer Hall, retired 12/27/2019 after 18 years of service. Major Paul Halle, retired 12/31/2019 after 30 years of service. Pat Jacoby, retired 12/13/2019 after 11 years of service.
Caleb Nagel, Deputy Recruit hired on 10/14/2019. Brian Stafford, Deputy Recruit hired on 10/14/2019. Robin Stumpp, School Crossing Guard hired on 10/21/2019. Keri Sullivan, Registered Nurse hired on 10/21/2019. Alan Villa Jr., Deputy Recruit hired on 10/14/2019. Verliz Williams, Community Programs Specialist 10/28/2019. Deputy Brooks Wilson, hired on 10/14/2019.
NOVEMBER
Marc Alexis, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Arthur Bien, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Crilda Brown, Deputy Recruit hired 11/4/2019. Christopher Daniels, Deputy Recruit 11/4/2019. Kelsie Nury, C.P.I. Investigator Trainee hired on 11/4/2019. Luke Pecora, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Alisa Rosario, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Rachel Selkfregg, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Michaela Thomas, Deputy Recruit hired on 11/4/2019. Deputy Michael Urso, hired on 11/12/2019.
DECEMBER
Jennifer Corliss, Administrative Assistant hired on 12/2/2019. NEW HIRES Maryanne Dawson, A.R.M.S. Data Assistant hired on 12/2/2019. OCTOBER Diane Diruggiero, School Crossing Guard hired on 12/2/2019. Paul Calle, Criminal Justice Specialist hired on Diane Hennager, A.R.M.S. Data Assistant hired on 10/28/2019. 12/2/2019. Charles Cuthbert, School Crossing Guard hired Sylvia Lake, Court Processing Tech II hired on on 10/28/2019. 12/2/2019. William Damonte, Deputy Recruit hired on Devin Murphy, School Crossing Guard hired on 10/14/2019. 12/2/2019. Roger Gorbet, Property/Evidence Clerk hired on Katherine Nichols, Administrative Assistant hired 10/7/2019. on 12/2/2019. Mackenzie Graham, Medical Assistant hired on Dale Seiter, Investigator hired on 12/2/2019. 10/21/2019. Vonna Roper, Administrative Assistant hired on Kurt Hellthaler, Deputy Recruit 10/14/2019. 12/9/2019. Tatiana Hernandez, C.P.I. Investigator Trainee Jamie Ryan, Administrative Secretary hired on hired on 10/21/2019. 12/9/2019. Gabriel Johnson, Deputy Recruit hired on Nikki Webster,Program Services Specialist hired on 10/14/2019. 12/9/2019. Chaplain James Kim, hired on 10/21/2019. Michelle Lewis, School Crossing Guard hired on 10/28/2019. Oliver Little Jr., Deputy Recruit hired on 10/14/2019.
The Great American Teach-In The Great American Teach-In is an annual event Pinellas County Schools participate in so that children can learn about careers, hobbies, travel, and other topics from different professionals in the community. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office actively participates in this event every November so that kids are exposed to law enforcement and can develop positive relationships with our deputies. We had another successful year as deputies visited local schools and presented a topic, read a book, or shared information about their role as a first responder.
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October - December 2019
November 1, 2019
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Congratulations to the Day-off RaffleWinners Megan Allamong Corporal Jason Beetz Charles Galloza Tonya Hubosky Karen McLaughlin Donna Weatherwax
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October - December 2019
Copay, Deductible, Coinsurance, and Out-of-Pocket Maximum Understanding health care can be confusing. That’s why it’s helpful to know the meaning of commonly used terms such as copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and outof-pocket maximums. Knowing these important terms may help you understand when and how much you need to pay for your health care. Below are the definitions and general guidelines to these terms to better understand what they mean, how they work together, and how they are different. What is a copay? A copay is a fixed amount you pay for a health care service, usually collected at the time of the appointment. The amount may vary depending on the type of service. How it works: Your plan determines what your copay is for different types of services. You may have a copay before you’ve finished paying toward your deductible. You may also have a copay after you pay your deductible, and when you owe coinsurance.
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What is a deductible? A deductible is the amount you pay each year for certain medical expenses or medications before UnitedHealthcare begins to share in the cost of covered services. For example, the individual deductible for the Gold plan is $1,000. That means that you will be responsible for paying the first $1,000 of applicable medical expenses before UnitedHealthcare begins to pay for services. What is coinsurance? Coinsurance is a portion of the medical cost you pay after your deductible has been met. Coinsurance is a way of saying that you and UnitedHealthcare each pay a share of eligible costs that add up to 100 percent. What is an Out-of-Pocket Maximum and How Does it Work? An out-of-pocket maximum is a cap, or limit, on the amount of money you have to pay for covered health care services in a plan year. If you meet that limit, UnitedHealthcare will pay 100% of all covered health care costs for the rest of the plan year.
If you have any questions regarding your benefits, please contact Human Resources at 727-582-2835 or insurancebenefits@pcsonet.com.
The Mounted Posse participated in parades, but it also worked in conjunction with the bloodhounds. From tracking escapees from the work camp on Ulmerton Road to locating missing children and adults, the dogs and horses were an invaluable team. They trained together, and many of the McMullen
nieces and nephews were used in tracking drills too. The Mounted Posse had the most members of all the posses and held rank within the unit. However, the Junior Mounted Posse was not used in tracking situations. It was comprised of junior deputies who rode in parades and met regularly to develop their horsemanship skills. It is hard to imagine that Pinellas County once had enough open land that horses and bloodhounds could work effectively. Those days are gone forever, but these volunteer deputies and their trusty steeds served this agency well with pride and honor.
Information/photos provided by PCSO Archive Historian Penny Cooke.
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In 1958, Sheriff Don Genung put the first Mounted Posse into motion. The group started with a total of 26 men. He required each member to have his own horse and the trailer to get them to where they were needed 24 hours a day. Even though they were unpaid and not certified, the Mounted Posse members were still considered bonded deputies.
Pinellas County SWAT Team Achieves Highest Ranking in Years The SWAT Round-up International competition in Orlando tests the officer’s abilities to shoot accurately, move dynamically, think “on the fly,” and make hard decisions. Eight sheriff’s office members as well as two alternate members completed the training event. There were five total challenges over four days, including a blind or mystery event out of view of teams and spectators, making it especially challenging. The other events included an obstacle course, rappelling from a five-story tower, traversing a rope across a body of water, running and jumping over high and low obstacles, and running and shooting while wearing a gas mask. According to Deputy Bill Angus, the most challenging part of the SWAT Roundup competition is being an all-around great SWAT operator. Team members have to be physically fit in order to run the courses quickly and control their breathing and heart rate when it comes time for shooting. Members must be able to remember the various rules of each event, otherwise the team can be penalized. The members must also be thoughtful in the way they plan the best way to complete these events in the quickest way possible. “The most rewarded aspect of this training is being around like-minded individuals and celebrating our profession,” Deputy Angus said. “SWAT members love what they do and love the challenge of pushing themselves past their comfort levels. The SWAT community is very small, and this event is a unique way for everyone to get together to network and make ourselves better.” The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team placed 19th out of 55 national and international teams this year, which is the best placement they have ever achieved. They are hoping to keep the team intact and continue improving their ranking every year. “I always look forward to SWAT Round-up because it is a great bonding experience for the team,” Deputy Angus said. “We are together every day for the entire week, and we create great memories and lasting relationships with one another.” The SWAT team trains very hard to ensure they are prepared for the most difficult situations. This competition allows the members to challenge themselves and see how they stack up with other teams throughout the state, country, and beyond.
Third Annual
COOK-OFF All members are invited to participate in the third Annual PCSO Chili Cook-Off on Friday, February 21, 2020. Fill out the below form to enter, and interoffice mail/email this page to Julie Philbin, jphilbin1@pcsonet.com, in the Public Relations Bureau (PRB). A PRB member will contact you with competition details that will depend on the number of entries received. Members will taste and anonymously vote on which chili really tickles their taste buds, and first, second, and third place winners will receive handcrafted trophies. So, whether your recipe is mama’s tried-and-true or a new one you’ve yet to try, complete the form, heat up that stovetop, and get cookin’!
Chili Cook-Off Application To participate in the third annual PCSO Chili Cook-Off, submit this application before February 14, 2020.
Name __________________________________________________ Position ________________________________________________ Bureau/Division __________________________________________ Type of chili _____________________________________________
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DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT Property and Evidence Division
Walking through the Property and Evidence Division can feel like touring a museum, however, the difference is the objects on the shelves don’t always have a permanent residence. The property and evidence team members have a responsibility to document, store, and preserve evidence, but when those items no longer serve a purpose in either resolving a case or going back to the original owner, it’s time to let the property go. From sewing machines to bikes and even blood, every item that enters the building--no matter how odd or amusing--must be monitored for safe keeping. Lead drug clerk, Kristin Jones, recalls the head of a bear costume sitting on a top shelf for years before they disposed of it. “We see our rash of guns, clothing, jewelry, cracked car pieces and whatever comes in from the case,” Kristin said. “I’ve had a couple cases where I noticed similarities in another case I had received. I like being a pseudo detective and putting pieces together and seeing things as the whole picture.” Once an item has been logged into ACISS, given a bar code, and location, it stays with the sheriff’s office until the case has been closed or the owner claims the item that was found by a deputy. Approximately 6,500 pieces of evidence or property are processed every month, and the division is responsible for about 350,000 items every year. The constant influx of property and evidence causes the team to make creating space a priority.
“We have to create a balance of whatever we take in, we also need to get out in order to create space,” Lieutenant Tim Kelly said. “It’s a constant battle we fight.” Some items can be sold online, like electronics, while others can be donated or destroyed. The proceeds go toward the Explorer Post #900 program, or the Pinellas Sheriff’s Police Athletic League. Yet, there are still some items, like homicide-related evidence, that have been sitting in storage for 50 years. When property and evidence clerks are not clearing out old items, or updating storage containers for safe preservation, they are processing narcotics in the drug room. Every shift has two drug clerks on staff to safely handle the drugs that are disposed of throughout the day and evening. “Dealing with fentanyl drugs is dangerous,” Lieutenant Kelly said. “We have clerks that pick up the narcotics from the different dropoff locations. We take our precautions by requiring all narcotics be properly packaged and that clerks wear the proper protective gear when handling them. Dealing with narcotics safely is our biggest concern in this division.” Before the property and evidence team members leave their desks every day, they make sure each item—big or small—has its proper place on the shelf.
Please let us know what you think. Is there something you want to see? Is there something you want to share? Members are invited to submit articles and color photos for publication. Photos must be high resolution. Articles and photos are subject to editing. Please email your submissions to proud@pcsonet.com.
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Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office 10750 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33778 727-582-6200 • www.pcsoweb.com