Sarasota Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Sarasota Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency for the City of Sarasota, Florida
and operate inside the municipal city limits to provide police services to 67,000 residents, 5,000 college students, approximately 5,000 tourists, and up to 100,000 citizens workers for businesses in the city limits. The Sarasota Police Department operates on a budget of $26,902,601 (2011-2012) with approximately 254 sworn and unsworn personnel and 99 volunteers.
The Police Department is located at 2099 Adams Lane Sarasota, Florida 34237
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: (941) 316-1199
Front Desk: (941) 366-8000
Dispatchers direct officers based on their unit assignments. Day shift begins with the prelude of 31, while night shift's prelude is 32. This is concluded with their zone assignment. IE: Night shift zone 5 is 3205. Specialized units have different preludes, such as 38 (3814 being an officer) for the traffic unit.
police motorcycle
s, and each traffic officer is provided with an unmarked patrol car.
The department currently has a variation of police vehicles. All marked police vehicles are 2002-2011 Chevrolet Impala
police model, except for several 1998-2001 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
. The traffic unit and a majority of supervisors are issued unmarked Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. The Street Crimes Unit uses a variety of unmarked vehicles of different types and brands.
22, .40 caliber handguns to all sworn officers.
, and was to be married later that month. Officer Jones was 25 at the time of his death and is the only law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in Sarasota County. Officer Jones was not scheduled to work that night but was in order to meet staffing requirements. At the time of his death lieutenants and sergeants had portable radios, officers did not. Kevlar vests had been made available to law enforcement agencies;however Sarasota had not yet puchased any. After this tragedy several officers purchased their own vests.
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
and operate inside the municipal city limits to provide police services to 67,000 residents, 5,000 college students, approximately 5,000 tourists, and up to 100,000 citizens workers for businesses in the city limits. The Sarasota Police Department operates on a budget of $26,902,601 (2011-2012) with approximately 254 sworn and unsworn personnel and 99 volunteers.
The Police Department is located at 2099 Adams Lane Sarasota, Florida 34237
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: (941) 316-1199
Front Desk: (941) 366-8000
Mission
The Sarasota Police Department is dedicated to providing professional law enforcement service for our community while safeguarding Constitutional guarantees and forming responsive partnerships with those we serve to achieve safety, quality of life and respect for the law.- Innovatively and aggressively fighting crime and reducing the fear of crime.
- Abiding by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. Treating each person with dignity and respect while maintaining accountability to the citizenry and each other.
- Building and reinforcing relationships through communication, commitment and action.
- Evolving in response to our public safety mandate.
Chief of Police
The current Chief of Police is Mikel T. Hollaway. Hollaway started as a patrol officer with the department in 1982, working through various ranks until obtaining the position of Chief on May 18, 2010. The Chief of Police is the executive officer of the Sarasota Police Department and is ultimately responsible for decisions regarding policy, enforcement and use of resources in conjunction with the City Manager and the City Commission. The Chief maintains command authority over all department employees, both sworn and civilian. His office support staff consists of one full-time Executive Assistant and one part-time Administrative Specialist. The Office of the Chief of Police is broken down into three sections.- Office of Adminstrative Captain - which oversees various administrative aspects of the department.
- Planning and Inspections Unit - which oversees policy changes and resource allotment.
- Internal Affairs and Complaints (IAC) Section - which oversees any and all aligations of police misconduct and complaints filed on officers.
Stations
The department primarily operates out of the main police station located in the center of the city. All civilian employees and sworn personnel operate from this department. The police department does operate several smaller police stations around the city. These stations offer officers the ability to write and print reports, take their lunch break, and use a bathroom without ever having to leave their respective district. Since it is understood that seconds matter in an emergency, keeping officers near all points of the city is a sought after goal. These substations also act as community centers, allowing neighborhood associations and such to meet.- Newtown Substation - 1782 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
- Rosemary District Substation - 820 Central Avenue
- Gillepsie Park Substation - 710 Osprey Avenue
- Hillview Substation - 1873 Hillview Street
Communications
Dispatching to officers is provided through a consolidated communications center with Sarasota County. Citizens contact dispatchers through 911 or non-emergency numbers and the call is sent to the respective agency. Two dispatchers serve the Police Department. Frequency 1 is the primary channel used by officers. Calls are dispatched and any officer generated activity is called out. Frequency 2 is used by officers to check for wants and warrants, request information, or ask questions without typing up Frequency 1.Dispatchers direct officers based on their unit assignments. Day shift begins with the prelude of 31, while night shift's prelude is 32. This is concluded with their zone assignment. IE: Night shift zone 5 is 3205. Specialized units have different preludes, such as 38 (3814 being an officer) for the traffic unit.
Vehicles
The Sarasota Police Department utilizes several types of vehicles. The department currently owned two Wellcraft Scarab boats to provide service to those in Sarasota Bay and the surrounding area. The traffic unit possesses 12 Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
police motorcycle
Police motorcycle
A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by various police forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States...
s, and each traffic officer is provided with an unmarked patrol car.
The department currently has a variation of police vehicles. All marked police vehicles are 2002-2011 Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
police model, except for several 1998-2001 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Though the name has been officially in use since 1992, the 1978–1991 full-size LTDs and LTD Crown Victorias and 1992 updated body style used the "P72" production code designation for both fleet/taxi and police models, with the model itself being internally classified as S...
. The traffic unit and a majority of supervisors are issued unmarked Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. The Street Crimes Unit uses a variety of unmarked vehicles of different types and brands.
Firearms
Currently the department issues GlockGlock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
22, .40 caliber handguns to all sworn officers.
Ranks of the Police Department
| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief |  |
| Captain | |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant |  |
| Officer / Detective |
Line of Duty Deaths
Since the establishment of the Sarasota Police Department, 1 officer has died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Warren David Jones | Saturday, April 5, 1975 | Gunfire |
Officer Warren David Jones
Officer Jones was on patrol on April 5, 1975 while working Zone 5 (Now apart of the formed Zone 6) when he drove past McCarley Oil located at 1450 Mango Ave. Officer Jones observed Henry Lee Washington, 20, stealing gasoline from the business. Officer Jones confronted Washington, who was currently on parole for assault and previous thefts. Officer Jones attempted to place Washington into custody when a struggle broke out. Officer Jones' .38 Caliber pistol found its way into Washington's hands during the altercation. Washington pressed the gun against Officer Jones' chest and fired one shot. The bullet passed through Officer Jones' body next to his heart. The bullet did not strike any bone and exited the body. Officer Jones crawled to his patrol car to radio for help. Washington proceeded to beat Officer Jones with Officer Jones' flashlight. Washington fled the scene and Officer Jones was able to radio for help. Officer Jones was transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where he died 90 minutes later due to the gunshot wound. Officer Jones had served with the Sarasota Police Department for two years, had a bachelors from Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, and was to be married later that month. Officer Jones was 25 at the time of his death and is the only law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in Sarasota County. Officer Jones was not scheduled to work that night but was in order to meet staffing requirements. At the time of his death lieutenants and sergeants had portable radios, officers did not. Kevlar vests had been made available to law enforcement agencies;however Sarasota had not yet puchased any. After this tragedy several officers purchased their own vests.