Too many people, knowledge of what law enforcement agencies do is limited to what they might have seen in television dramas or news stories.  For this reason, many people have only a limited understanding of how a professional law enforcement agency operates and what its employees do.  Deputies and other uniformed members of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office are the most visible part of the agency, but there are many employees whose efforts are not as visible, yet they are vital to our success.  These jobs include a wide variety of accounting, clerical, communication, maintenance and many other support positions without which the Sheriff’s Office would have difficulty in providing meaningful service to the public.

One important, yet seldom recognized function of any law enforcement agency is professional record management.  When it comes to maintaining the Sheriff’s Office criminal records database, the job is handled by our Records Division.  In most cases, until there is a need for a copy of report, the round-the-clock important tasks performed by the members of this division go largely unnoticed.

To accomplish their mission, the Sheriff’s Office Records Division is separated into three different units, each of which has specific responsibilities pertaining to law enforcement records.  Criminal records are constructed, validated, archived, and disseminated by members of this unit as necessary in accordance with Florida public record laws. For this reason, criminal records from the present dating back to the 1950s are currently preserved.

Senator Mike Fasano Announces Passage of Priority Legislation As 2008 Legislative Session Ends

State Senator Mike Fasano announces that his priority legislation for the 2008 session has passed both the House and the Senate and is awaiting the governor’s consideration.  Bills pertaining to foreclosure fraud, public adjusters, teen modeling, insurance reform, disabled veterans and sexual violence all received favorable votes in the Florida Legislature this session.

Billions Back Into American Workers’ Pockets

Nettleton, MS –  Oil prices are through the roof and it’s costing us dearly. We empty our pockets in order to line those of the oil barons in the Middle East and elsewhere, and as we do so our dependence on their crude oil continues to deepen at an alarming rate due to our consumption habits.

This need not be the case because America has the technology and the natural resources to break this reliance on the Middle East. In fact doing so has several other significant benefits. Firstly, by purchasing American fuel we can stimulate the economy by keeping our US dollars in US pockets, but perhaps the most attractive aspect is the green issue; for the fuel in question is renewable plant and/or animal fat-based biodiesel.

Florida Medicaid To Review Antipsychotics & ADHD
January 28th, 2008

The move comes amid growing scrutiny. The taxpayer bill for these meds jumped from $9 million seven years ago to nearly $30 million in 2006. Florida Medicaid records reportedly show the number of children - some just months old - who were prescribed the drugs went from 9,364 seven years ago to 18,137 in 2006. And even as drugmakers were being told to issue warnings about risks, a Florida Legislature-directed program partly funded by drugmakers was recommending the meds as treatment for ADHD, although FDA approval is lacking.

As a result, the Florida attorney general is considering whether to file a lawsuit. Now, the state's Agency for Health Care Administration is responding to concerns that the meds are being used inappropriately for treating ADHD, in particular, and will review coverage.