NEWSLETTER

Welcome! 

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July celebration! Unfortunately, this time of year puts us one month closer to the peak of hurricane season, and with Hurricane Alex already making landfall, we all need to make sure we’re ready for any storm that comes our way. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has its plans in place to respond to a natural disaster, and employees have been encouraged to do the same so they can continue serving our community in the event of such a crisis.

I would also encourage you to take steps to prepare your homes and businesses and make evacuation plans if necessary. If you need help, click here for information from Sarasota County Emergency Services. It is always good to plan for the worst but hope for the best!

Visitation

A new and improved video visitation system has been installed at the Sarasota County Jail. This is an important development since technical issues crippled the previous system and drastically reduced the opportunity for visitation.

The new digital equipment significantly expands efficiency, allowing more people to visit as well as more visitation sessions. The Board of County Commissioners purchased the system and installation was completed last month. We have also added an online scheduling capability to the existing lobby kiosk and phone scheduling options, which simplifies the visitation process. It also reduces the amount of staff time spent answering phones, so they are free to focus on other job duties. 

Boots & Badges

The Sheriff’s Office is participating in the 2010 Boots & Badges Blood Drive – a friendly competition between local law enforcement and fire fighters to support Suncoast Communities Blood Bank. This annual event includes a month-long challenge and blood mobile appearances around the county to increase blood supplies at a time of year when the need is up but donations are down. The event concludes at National Night Out Against Crime, Tuesday, August 3^rd, at Payne Park in Sarasota. The public can donate blood that night and choose which team they support (Go BADGES!) We will also hold the second Operation Medicine Cabinet that night so residents can safely turn in their unused and expired prescription medications without harming the environment. Please come celebrate our crime prevention partnership with this great Sarasota County community!

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, click on this box: