Choose Your Future 🎮
There’s lots of options at PCSO and getting bored isn’t one.
Apply at PinellasSheriff.gov/Careers. Link in bio.
#floridasheriff #needforspeed #flordiadeputy
Your uniform may change, but your mission doesn’t.
Join us for Operation MVPS (Military Veterans for Public Service) and discover how your skills can continue serving right here in your community.
• Meet hiring teams
• See specialized units & equipment
• Explore career opportunities
• Lunch provided
Where: PCSO Administration Building
When: May 16
Time: 11 AM - 2 PM
Pre-registration is highly encouraged, but not required.
Pre-register today, visit the Operation MVPS link in our bio.
Last month, Deputy Boone heard a call for a house fire. Realizing how close she was, she immediately made her way there, arriving on the scene first. She knew what she had to do. She ensured that the house on fire was vacant and as the fire was spreading she verified adjacent homes were also vacant. She learned that a disabled elderly person was still inside one of these homes. With the help of good samaritans, she located the person inside their home that was filling with smoke at the time and carried them out to safety.
The 911 call. Dispatch. First Responders. Good Samaritans. This is emergency response. This is showing up for members of our community. We all come together to get the job done.
And a little fire safety note: This fire was caused by a space heater. These items can be a real danger if you don't follow their safety instructions. Never leave one unattended. Never place one on carpet, furniture, or a table. Never plug one into an extension cord. Read the safety instructions and practice fire safety.
East Lake Fire Rescue Pinellas County Government
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we're committed to addressing the mental health challenges affecting our community every day.
Ten years ago, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri took a progressive step by establishing the Mental Health Unit (MHU) with two critical goals:
- Reducing unnecessary Baker Acts
- Helping individuals experiencing mental health crises avoid entering the criminal justice system
MHU employs an innovative co-response model, meaning each team pairs a sheriff's deputy with a civilian Crisis Response Specialist. This approach has proven so effective that both Clearwater and Largo Police Departments have since joined our mission.
Our teams engage with community members using a calm, compassionate approach. They specialize in de-escalation techniques and connect citizens with resources that support healthier, more stable lives. All services are voluntary, and our specialists help navigate the often complex behavioral health system when needed.
MHU also actively collaborates with local community partners to ensure coordinated care for those in need.
That care extends inside our jail too. Sometimes, a mental health crisis brings someone into our custody, and that's where our care continues. Inside our jail, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, doctors, and many other dedicated professionals show up every day to provide care and support to those who need it most. Their work is just as vital, and we are proud to recognize them as well.
Need Support? A comprehensive list of mental health resources in Pinellas County is available at:
nami-pinellas.org/resources/
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone working to improve mental health in our community, whether on the streets, in our neighborhoods, or within our jail.
They ride for those who died.
Earlier this week, Team Pinellas of the Police Unity Tour VIII completed their 250-mile ride from Norfolk, Virginia to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. They pedaled through downpours and showed up for every single mile with one purpose: to honor the fallen.
On Tuesday the team joined thousands of officers from across the nation for the official Police Unity Tour Ride-In ceremony, where they were met at the Memorial by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and members of the PCSO Honor Guard. Together, they took part in the Unity Tour Ceremony, where riders from across the country gathered to pay tribute to this year’s fallen officers.
For Team Pinellas, the ride always comes back to two names on that wall: our fallen Michael J. Magli and Michael R. Hartwick.
The ride is part of National Police Week, which included a Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall, where 363 fallen officers were honored and their names officially added to the Memorial walls.
To learn more about the Police Unity Tour, visit policeunitytour.com.
What do you do if you find an injured bird? Sergeant Horton knows!
When Sergeant Horton was doing a routine patrol of Pass-a-Grille Beach, citizens alerted him to an injured black-bellied plover near a footbridge. He carefully collected the bird and kept it safe in a box in his cruiser until Birds in Helping Hands could transport the little guy to Seaside Seabird Sanctuary for proper care.
When you find injured wildlife:
CALL FIRST - experts will guide you on whether and how to help before they arrive
Don't offer food or water to injured wildlife
Keep your distance and monitor the animal
Try to keep other people and pets away from the area
Whether it's a bird, a turtle, or any other creature, Pinellas County has some amazing organizations ready to help:
Birds In Helping Hands: 727-365-4592 (serves ALL Pinellas County wildlife, not just birds!)
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary: 727-391-6211
Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife: 813-598-5926
Raptor Center of Tampa Bay: 813-205-1851
SPCA Tampa Bay (Largo): 727-586-3592
For more tips on what to do if you find an injured or baby bird: seasideseabirdsanctuary.org/bird-rescue/
Thirty-six years of gathering. Twenty-eight names. One unwavering promise.
Wednesday, our community came together for the 36th Annual Pinellas County Fallen Officer Memorial to honor the courage and sacrifice of Pinellas County's fallen law enforcement heroes, including the addition this year of Sergeant Greg Graff from Pinellas County Schools Police.
We are grateful to Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick for his moving keynote, to Guns N Hoses for their powerful performances, and to the honor guards from agencies across the region who carried every ceremonial tribute with precision and reverence.
Their words, their music, and their presence reminded us why we gather every year.
North county, this one’s for you. ☕
We’ve got TWO Coffee with a Cop events happening next Thursday, May 21.
Maggie Mae’s on the Bluffs | Belleair Bluffs | 8 AM
Starbucks | Safety Harbor | 9–11 AM
No agenda. No speeches. Just good conversation and your local deputies over a cup of coffee.
Come say hi, we’d love to see you.
We’re giving away life jackets tomorrow!
Solution One Maritime donated 250 life jackets in adult, youth, and child sizes for us to hand out to our community. Members of our Marine and Environmental Lands Unit will be at the Park Boulevard Boat Ramp Saturday, May 16th from 8-10 AM. Come get yours.
A life jacket only saves you if it fits. Too big and it can slip off. Too small and it can’t keep you afloat. With National Safe Boating Week kicking off this weekend, there’s no better time to make sure everyone on your boat is covered.
See you Saturday!
Every year, we gather. Every year, we remember. These photos from our 36th Annual Pinellas County Fallen Officer Memorial show what that promise looks like in practice.
This year carried a deeply meaningful addition: the unveiling of Sergeant Greg Graff’s name from the Pinellas County Schools Police Department, now permanently etched among the fallen heroes of Pinellas County law enforcement, bringing our memorial to 28 names.
The ceremony honored their sacrifice with keynote remarks from Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick, performances by Guns N Hoses including a rendition of Amazing Grace that led into a helicopter flyover, a 21-gun salute, and the steady presence of honor guards from across the region.
To every member, visiting honor guard, and community supporter who stood with us, thank you.
Their service will not be forgotten. It never will be.
@pascosheriffsoffice@hcsosheriff@manateecountysheriff@clearwaterpolice@pinellasparkpd Largo Police Department Tarpon Springs Police Department @stpetepd@pinellascountyschools@myfwc
Need a life jacket? Come see us Saturday!
In honor of National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22), Solution One Maritime donated approximately 250 life jackets in a range of sizes for us to distribute to the community, including child, youth, and adult sizes.
If you need one, come by the Park Boulevard Boat Ramp (18651 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Shores) this Saturday, May 16th from 8-10 AM. Members of our Marine and Environmental Lands Unit will be handing them out while supplies last.
A life jacket only works if it fits properly. Too big and it can slip right off in the water. Too small and it can’t do its job. A properly fitting life jacket keeps the wearer afloat and in the right position, and that can literally be the difference between life and death.
Florida law requires it too: under Florida Statute § 327.50(1)(b), any child under the age of 6 must be wearing a USCG-approved PFD any time a vessel under 26 feet in length is underway, meaning any time the boat is moving.
See you Saturday!
When most people think about beach dangers, sharks come to mind. But the number one threat to beachgoers is actually rip currents, and they’re responsible for many water rescues every year.
These are powerful, narrow channels of water that pull swimmers away from shore fast. Some rip currents move up to 8 feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer.
If you get caught in one, here’s what to do:
Don’t panic, and don’t swim against it. The current won’t pull you underwater. It will pull you away from shore. Stay calm and float. Swim parallel to the shoreline until you’re out of the current’s pull, then angle back toward the beach following the breaking waves.
If you can’t swim out, float, wave, and yell for help.
Before you head to the beach, check the rip current statement for your area and know how to spot one. Look for flat spots where waves aren’t breaking, or areas where foam or discolored water is moving away from shore.
Share this with your family before your next beach day.
