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Bureau of Law Enforcement Operations

Colonel Justin Ferrara
Law Enforcement Operations
 

Welcome to the Bureau of Law Enforcement Operations. In this bureau, Colonel Ferrara is responsible for the divisions of East District Patrol, and West District Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Judicial and Juvenile Services and Education and Professional Standards. Each division has various assigned units and teams. He oversees management within those divisions for compliance with policies and procedures.

This bureau is responsible for providing primary law enforcement services to the approximately 150,000 residents of Citrus County, including the incorporated areas of Inverness and Crystal River. Services provided by this bureau include sheriff patrols, detective investigations, court security, civil processes and law enforcement training, as well as accreditation functions. The operations of the divisions under this bureau collaterally augment the agency by assisting with the mission of delivering excellence in public safety.

Patrol Division

Captain John Novy

 

 

The Patrol Division has the responsibility of strategic planning that will serve as a foundation for ongoing, proactive law enforcement. This division is the largest in the agency and are responsible for assessing community needs and directing resources in order to achieve objectives as effectively and efficiently as possible. The division must be responsive to the changing environment and anticipate financial, technological and community needs.

Although our county’s population has seen tremendous growth in the last few years, our crime rate remains extremely low. This is due to the hard work of the men and women in the Patrol Division. The Patrol Division is currently broken down into two districts, east and west. Within each district, assigned squads of deputy sheriffs work 12-hour shifts.

The units in this division include:

  • Alpha/Bravo Patrol
  • Community Crimes
  • Crime Prevention
  • Public Service Officers
  • City of Inverness & City of Crystal River Community Resource Officers
  • K9 Units
  • Special Enforcement Deputies
  • Marine Unit
  • Traffic Unit
  • Animal Control Officers

 

Marine

The Marine Unit enforces marine laws and ordinances and provides high-visibility patrol in waterways, investigates boating accidents and related crime scenes, and promotes boating education and safety to the residents and tourists that visit Citrus County waterways. Aside from routine patrol duties for manatee zones and safety violations, the Marine Unit is also tasked with responding to boaters and vessels in distress and searching for missing boaters. The Marine Unit actively works with the U.S. Coast Guard and other State and Federal agencies in the area to enforce safe boating operations.

K9

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit brings to you one of the best assets available to the community and agency in reference to protecting our citizens and apprehending criminals. Teaming up a deputy with a highly trained German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois has proved to be invaluable. Some of the capabilities of our K9 Unit includes tracking lost or missing persons in need, as well as suicidal subjects and criminal suspects; K9 demonstrations, area searches, article searches, building searches, handler protection and criminal apprehension; narcotics detection consisting of Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Heroin and MDMA/Ecstasy. Our K9 Unit is made up of 8 dual purpose K9 teams with the addition of a Volunteer Bloodhound Team who excel in tracking and trailing lost or missing subjects. Our K9 Units are always available and on duty 24/7. Each K9 and handler must complete a challenging 480 hour course together and pass an annual K9 team certification.

Traffic

The Traffic Unit is responsible for Traffic Enforcement and the safety of pedestrian school children, the issuance of parking tickets to those illegally parked in handicapped parking and other locations, and the enforcement of DUI statutes in support of the patrolling function. If you want to report a problem with speeding or any other traffic related issue, call our non-emergency line at 352-726-1121 so we can take appropriate action in response to your complaints.

Animal Control

Animal Control Officers (ACO’s) joined the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office on September 1, 2009 and are part of the Patrol Division Special Operations Unit. ACO’s respond to complaints involving domestic animals and livestock, including calls involving animals that are abused, dangerous or a nuisance to the citizens of Citrus County. They have the authority to remove these animals and issue citations for violations of the county’s Animal Control ordinance.

The many components of these divisions must work in cooperation and range from receiving calls for service, patrolling our communities, investigating crime, processing forensic evidence, analyzing intelligence, and working with our judicial partners to make Citrus County the safest community in Florida.

Criminal Investigations

Captain Brian Spiddle

Arguably one of the busiest divisions of the agency, the Criminal Investigation Division is staffed with highly skilled, dedicated men and women who are devoted to solving crime in their community. The principal function of this division is to conduct follow-up investigations of reported crimes. These investigations consist of interviewing suspects, victims, and witnesses; analyzing information for validity, reliability, and accuracy; and compiling a comprehensive and factual case file to be presented in court.

The type of investigations that this division is responsible for investigating are: homicides, robberies, fraud and financial crimes, aggravated crimes against persons, crimes against children involving abuse/sexual abuse/criminal neglect or death, adult related sex crimes (rape), ensuring Sexual Offenders and Predators are abiding by their registration and living requirements, Internet Crimes Against Children, performing digital computer forensics, missing persons and cold case investigations.

The Forensic Unit is also under this section and is responsible for the processing of crime scenes, latent print examinations, and processing evidence in our crime lab.

The units in this division include:

  • Major Crimes:
  • High Tech Crimes
  • Forensics Unit
  • Career Criminals
  • Special Victims Unit
  • Behavioral Health Unit
  • Intelligence Analysis
  • Tactical Impact Unit
  • Victim Advocates
  • Domestic Violence Units

Judicial & Juvenile Services

Captain Troy Hess

The Judicial and Juvenile Services Division provides a myriad of vital services to the citizens of Citrus County throughout various locations.  At the Citrus County Courthouse, our Court Security Unit is responsible for the safety and protection of not only the Judiciary but all visitors who enter the facility.  Additionally, the office for the Civil Process Unit is located in the Citrus County Courthouse on the first floor.  A mixture of sworn deputies and support staff combine to effectuate both non-enforceable and enforceable civil process services within Citrus County.  In Lecanto, the Duty Office is located adjacent to the Citrus County Jail.  While the county contracts with Core Civic to administer functions at the jail, our Duty Office personnel are tasked with conducting felony and sex offender/predator registrations, maintaining FCIC/NCIC records, overseeing the GPS Pre-Trial Release program, handling inmate/fugitive transports, and carry out booking procedures (i.e. fingerprinting, photos, and DNA collection).  Finally, the School Resource Deputy Unit is accountable for the crucial responsibility of ensuring the safety of our students throughout every public school in Citrus County.  Operating in conjunction with the school district, the SRDs work diligently to safeguard schools and events while teaching various courses (such as FOCUS, Choices, and Know the Law) to students at all levels.  In addition, our School Resource Deputies lead the Explorer program, mentoring young men and women who may comprise the next generation of law enforcement professionals to serve our citizens.

Civil Process

Florida State Statute requires the Sheriff’s Office to serve all enforceable civil process listed here with fees.

Non-enforceable process service will be handled by a private process server. A list of the process servers can be found here.

Courthouse Security 

The Courthouse Security Section is responsible for the safety and security of the judges, juries, all courthouse staff, and visitors to the Judicial Center. They also maintain building security through screening processes, interior, and exterior perimeter checks, and respond to all calls for service at the facility.  Additionally, deputies assigned to this unit provide inmate security when incarcerated individuals have entered the building for court hearings.

Non-sworn volunteer bailiffs are utilized throughout the courthouse and are always welcome. Click here to learn about our volunteer opportunities at the courthouse.

Transport

The Transport Section is tasked with transporting inmates from other jurisdictions (including other states) back to our county to answer to any criminal charges that have originated in our jurisdiction. This section also handles any extraditions from other states to Citrus County. Unfortunately due to security reasons the Transport Section cannot tell you when or if an inmate will be brought back to Citrus County but all persons transported to this county are arrested and you can view our arrest records by clicking here.

Duty Office

The Duty Office Section is located at the privately run county jail in Lecanto and has deputies present that process all persons arrested in Citrus County. Anyone taken into law enforcement custody (whether it’s by the Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol, or any agency making an arrest in our county) must be fingerprinted, photographed, and have DNA collected by a Duty Office Deputy in conjunction with pretrial detention. Also included in the Duty Office’s responsibilities are the collection of cash or surety bonds for inmate release, the entering and maintenance of all warrants, writs, and injunctions for protection, Risk Protection Orders, and Sex Offender/Felon Registrations. The Sheriff’s Office does not release warrant or bond information via telephone, please visit our office in person at 2650 W. Woodland Ridge Drive, Lecanto, FL for assistance.

GPS Section

The GPS Section monitors non-violent offenders sentenced to wear an ankle tracking device equipped with GPS so their movements may be monitored while they are out of custody awaiting the disposition of their criminal case. The decision to provide an offender with such a device is at the discretion of a judge and does incur a daily cost that is lower than the actual cost of incarceration per day. If you are an offender and are experiencing issues with your device please review your documents for the proper notification procedure or call the GPS Deputy at (352) 746-3128.

School Resource Deputies

A School Resource Deputy (SRD) is a law enforcement officer who is assigned to either an elementary, middle, or high school. The main goal of the SRD is to prevent juvenile delinquency by promoting positive relations between youth and law enforcement. The SRD position encompasses three major components, which allow the SRD to achieve this goal: law enforcement, education, and counseling. These three components allow the SRD to take a proactive approach to law enforcement. SRD’s are not just "cops" on campus. While SRD’s provide all law enforcement duties on their campus. They educate the students by teaching law-related classes and other related subjects in the classrooms and counsel both students and parents on various topics. The SRD becomes involved in the students' lives as a positive role model. The intent is that the positive experiences students have with the SRD will bridge the gap between juveniles and law enforcement, and in doing so, help prevent juvenile crime.

Professional Standards and Communications

Captain Joe Casola

Professional Standards and Communications Division has multi-faceted responsibilities including oversight and management of training standards and regulations for sworn & civilian personnel, training programs in public safety and homeland security, Accreditation Programs and the development all agency policies. The division is dedicated to enhancing public safety and improving criminal justice.

In our mission to deliver excellence in public safety, our Professional Standards and Communications Division must maintain oversight of all agency in-service training programs related to civilian and sworn law enforcement officers.

The division consists of sworn and civilian employees. Personnel in the division are responsible for safety and certification training of approximately 225 law enforcement personnel, maintenance and accountability of all firearms and weapons, fitness facility maintenance and wellness programs, accountability and renewal of all officer and instructor certifications.

Being a state and nationally accredited agency helps ensure the safety of our personnel by adhering to the highest standards in public safety.  The progressiveness of our training programs increase safety while decreasing liability of the agency. 

In 2007, the Citrus County Emergency Operations Center, specifically the 911 Center, received national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies' Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program. This achievement is noteworthy because only four other centers in the State of Florida and only 47 centers across the nation have earned this honor.

The EOC 9-1-1 Center handles all emergency calls for the county. When you place an emergency call, it goes directly to the EOC 9-1-1 Center in Lecanto. Dispatchers route these calls to the appropriate service: law enforcement (Sheriff’s Office) and EMS. Using an enhanced 9-1-1 system, communications officers are able to determine the address and phone number of the caller. The Citrus County EOC is one of the few 9-1-1 centers across the state that effectively and efficiently houses all services together, ensuring that no time is lost in transferring calls.

The sections in this division include:

  • Training
  • Accreditation & Professional Standards
  • Evidence
  • Communications
  • CAD/911

Bureau of Support Operations

Colonel Elena Vitt
Support Operations
 

Welcome to the Bureau of Support Operations. In this bureau, Colonel Vitt is responsible for the divisions of Financial Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Emergency Operations and Special Operations. Each division has various assigned units and teams. She oversees management within those divisions for compliance with policies and procedures

This bureau is comprised of highly trained specialized units that provide the vital resources necessary for the daily operations of the Sheriff’s Office to fulfill its vision to make Citrus County the safest community in Florida. Operations here encompasses the areas of emergency dispatch, search and rescue, training, and the specialized units of Aviation, Mounted Posse Unit, Hazardous Devices Team and many more. The men and women under this bureau strive to develop positive working relationships with the community members it serves. 

Emergency Operations

Current EOC Status
EOC Level 3 - Monitoring

National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) check current status
Citrus County evacuation map

Emergency Management officials work year-round preparing the citizens of our community. The Emergency Management team plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters. These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or other catastrophic events. Any of these situations could mean some or all of Citrus County is without electrical power, water or other basic necessities. During this time period, it becomes critical that people understand how to take care of themselves for at least 7 days and have a family disaster plan already in place.

This is why it is crucial for the Emergency Management team to develop and implement the Citrus County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, and routinely conduct extensive exercises to test county emergency response capabilities.

When the EOC activates due to a pending threat, or a disaster strikes, Citizen Information Lines will be staffed.

When necessary, this line is open 24 hours a day.
The number is 352-249-2775

 

Special Operations

Misty Clendenney

Misty Clendenney
Captain

Contact Information
Bonnie Chesterfield
Executive Secretary/Senior Staff Assistant
352-249-2717
 

The Special Operations Division is a multifaceted division that operates at the highest levels of modern law enforcement. This division is comprised of various units, teams, and departments that collectively provide operational support during critical situations.

Specialty Units

Aviation

The primary mission of the Aviation Unit is to support our deputies on the road. Some of our primary duties are to assist with searches for missing/lost individuals, pursuits of wanted subject(s) and surveillance-type activities. The Air Unit is a force multiplier and can conduct a search in a specific area in a quarter of the time it would take ground units to search on foot. We are also called to assist other law enforcement agencies or fire services throughout the state if the need arises.

Specialty Teams

SWAT

S.W.A.T. supports all Citrus County operations by providing rapid response and enhanced capabilities to assist in keeping Citrus County resident’s safe, as well as offering services to other counties when needed. This unit is prepared at any time to deploy personnel and equipment for tactical response, to support warrant service, conduct low visibility counter-surveillance, investigations, and provide enhanced support for special events.

Hazardous Devices Team

All members of the Hazardous Devices Team are assigned to full-time duties in the agency and respond as needed. The CCSO’s Office Hazardous Devices Team responds to a variety of calls including bomb threats, suspicious packages, demolition and disposal of explosives, citizen demonstrations, drug labs, hazardous materials calls, and provides the robot for assistance on SWAT call.

Crisis Negotiations Team

The Crisis Negotiation Team, or CNT, responds to incidents involving barricaded persons, hostage situations or critical incidents. Team members have regular duty assignments and perform this function above their regular duties. The mission of the CNT is to respond to a situation in order to negotiate a safe and reasonable conclusion. “Resolution through communication” is their motto.

DIVE

The CCSO’s DIVE team, also known as the Underwater Recovery Team is one of the specialized units within the Special Operations Division. Citrus County is beautifully situation on the west coast of the state and has numerous rivers, lakes, and ponds, as well as numerous other man-made bodies of water within its jurisdiction. The mission of our DIVE team is the recovery of drowning victims, evidence, or anything else which would require entry into one of these bodies of water.

Sheriff’s Posse

The Posse Unit is a valuable asset to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. These volunteers participate in various Citrus County functions such as assisting local and state agencies in the upholding laws; search and rescue missions, representation at city events, and participate in various training opportunities in an effort to enhance their skills and abilities. Posse riders and their horses welcome the opportunity to represent the Sheriff’s Office whenever possible. They take time to answer questions regarding the Posse and most especially, their horses. Horses must be calm and patient, allowing strangers and especially small children, to interact with them while working. Members of this unit are volunteers who own their own horses, and they use their own equipment to care for and transport the animals when needed.

Mobile Response Team

Our Mobile Response Team is a collaborative effort between the various specialty teams, units, and divisions of CCSO. They respond together in a caring and compassionate way to those in crisis or in need of emergency or non-emergency health services anywhere in Citrus County. The intent is to connect individuals with the appropriate services and avoid unnecessary arrest or incarceration.

SMART

The Sheriff's Mutual Aid Response Team (S.M.A.R.T) is a specialized team deployed to respond to emergency law enforcement activities, search and rescue missions, evidence searches, and requests for mutual aid. The members of this team are highly trained and possess a variety of technical skills. This team is available to respond to mutual aid requests throughout Citrus County and the State of Florida on a twenty-four hour basis. The goal of SMART is to swiftly and safely respond to requests for assistance, support, and coordinate the needed services in a manner that promotes the safety and security of the community.

Mobile Field Force

The Mobile Field Force provides a rapid, organized response to situations requiring a large scale police presence.  Mobile Field Force may be utilized in situations like civil disorder, riots, natural disasters, or cases where crowd control is necessary.  Personnel assigned to the Mobile Field Force undergo extensive training in victim rescue, crowd control, problem area isolation, criminal apprehension, and deployment of less lethal and chemical munitions (tear gas, OC spray, etc.).  They utilize a variety of protective equipment including shields, ballistic helmets, etc.

Honor Guard

The Honor Guard Unit is a secondary duty assignment and members are selected from varying units within the agency. Members are required to maintain impeccable appearance, high moral standards, and strict order and discipline. The Honor Guard performs funeral honors for Sheriff's Office members killed in the line of duty, as well as for members of other law enforcement agencies when requested. The team proudly represents the Citrus County Sheriff's Office at parades, a variety of ceremonial functions and community events requiring the Presentation of Colors.

Departments

Fleet Management

The Fleet Management Department is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of CCSO’s entire fleet of vehicles and equipment used for day to day operations. While a large part of the department’s responsibilities include maintenance, employees of fleet conduct repairs that occur from traffic accidents, theft, vandalism and other mishaps.

Domestic Security

The Domestic Security Department is responsible for investigating, collecting, analyzing and disseminating intelligence information concerning criminal activity, international and domestic terrorism, pawn, street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, warrants, inmate telephone monitoring, registered felons and sexual offenders/predators. The department gathers criminal intelligence information for the purpose of tracking and identifying emerging crime patterns and developing enforcement and prevention strategies.

Community Relations (Public Information)

This department serves as the agency liaison to the news media. Personnel in this department are responsible for engagement with members of the press and the dissemination of agency information in an accurate and timely fashion via press conferences, news releases, response to media public records requests, and social media. Efforts are made by this department to establish a positive, professional relationship between the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and various media outlets in an attempt to keep the public informed. Members are also responsible for the coordination of various events throughout the year and managing the agency’s Citizens’ Academy and Speakers Bureau.

Citizens’ Academy

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy is a hands-on, interactive, behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of your Sheriff’s Office.  This 12-week educational series of classes is taught by experienced sheriff’s officials who share their unique perspective on law enforcement. The Citizens’ Academy, which is offered three times a year with both an afternoon and evening class option, even includes two field trips!  Best of all – it is free.

Volunteers

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Unit is comprised of nearly 800 citizens serving Citrus County. Our members come from all walks of life and bring with them many years of life experience. This experience, combined with dedication and a willingness to help fellow citizens, is an excellent example of people “helping one another.”

Senior Affairs

Seniors Affairs is comprised of CCSO’s Volunteer Unit and Seniors vs. Crime Unit. Seniors vs. Crime is a joint project of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Attorney General’s Office. It is designed to assist people in the community who have been scammed or taken advantage of.

Special Projects

The Special Projects Department consists of numerous projects for the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, which may consist of renovation, retrofits, implementation of new programs, research and development, planning, and statistical projections.

Information Technology

Director William DiGeloromo

The Information Technology Division supports the information technology needs for every division in the Sheriff’s Office. This division is responsible for every aspect of computer use within the agency from the purchase and installation of software for an employee's desktop system to the development and implementation of the complex systems behind the scenes. The Information Technology Division impacts virtually every part of the Sheriff's Office and is vital to the day to day operation of the agency.

The Information Technology Division supports hundreds of computers in several locations throughout Citrus County. Critical applications include Records Management, Criminal Intelligence and Analysis, Mapping (GIS), Payroll and Human Resources.

The Information Technology Division plays an integral role in support of the Sheriff's Office by identifying opportunities for the agency to improve its effectiveness and productivity through the strategic use of technology. This division provides the computing to support hundreds of desktop and mobile clients.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to providing the latest cutting edge technologies to increase employee productivity which in turn increases our ability to provide services for the public. The Sheriff is aware of today's needs for technological improvements and has tasked the Information Technology Division with researching, evaluating, and making formal recommendations in reference to future technological advancements. This division is committed to providing the best recommendations to continue moving forward as technology continually progresses.

The units in this division include:

  • Systems & Servers
  • Network & Security
  • Software Applications
  • Hardware & Devices
  • Support
  • Records and Transcribing

Financial Services

Director Tracy Seffern

The Financial Services Division is responsible for managing the budget of the agency. Some of the financial management responsibilities of this division include general ledger accounting, payroll, accounts payable, inventory, internal controls, grants, and purchasing.

Managing the budget is the single largest function of this division. In addition to preparing all accounts receivable and payable, this division also handles a bi-weekly payroll schedule for the entire agency. Funds allocated by the county commission, along with special revenue and grant funding, are all monitored and accounted for through an annual audit session. The Financial Services division also oversees the Purchasing Unit which maintains ample law enforcement supplies for the troops, and the Inventory and Property Unit conducts an annual inventory of issued equipment.

One of the most diverse divisions at the Sheriff’s Office is Purchasing, which includes everything from keeping our patrol cars on the road and in good working order to ensuring weapons and uniforms are on hand and ready for new hires. The Purchasing Unit maintains ample law enforcement supplies for the troops, and the Inventory and Property Unit conducts an annual inventory of issued equipment.

The units in this division include:

  • Budget Control
  • Accounting
  • Payroll
  • Accounts Payable
  • Audits
  • Grants
  • Risk Management
  • Fixed Assets/Inventory Control
  • Purchasing

View our Approved 2021-2022 Budget

View our Submitted 2022-2023 Budget

Sheriff Prendergast Response to BOCC Inquiry Dated June 21, 2022

 

Human Resources

The Human Resources Division is responsible for planning, developing, and administering a comprehensive personnel program which includes such programs as recruitment, selection, classification, job pay evaluation, performance appraisal, affirmative action, organizational development, and disciplinary actions.

This division also is responsible for advising the Sheriff and division commanders regarding federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations applicable to personnel administration. Human Resources develops, administers, and maintains standardized personnel policies and procedures; establishes and maintains all personnel records; and selects, develops, and administers all employee benefit programs including health, dental, life, and retirement.

Social and community functions are also administered under the direction of the human resource personnel in conjunction with the employee activity fund.

The units in this division include:

  • Recruitment
  • Employee Benefits
  • Background Investigations
  • Employee Records
  • Employee Events