Summer is upon us, temperatures are soaring and what better way to keep children entertained and cool than an afternoon by the swimming pool. A dark side of a summer in the sun is that a sparkling swimming pool can also be a serious summer hazard. Unfortunately, when the temperature goes up, so does the number of accidental drownings involving children. The backyard pool is a magnet for children of all ages.

I was very pleased that hearings were held on the independence of the Federal Reserve system last month. My bill HR 1207, known as the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, was discussed at length, as well as the general question of whether or not the Federal Reserve should continue to operate independently.

The public is demanding transparency in government like never before. A majority of the House has cosponsored HR 1207. Yet, Senator Jim DeMint’s heroic efforts to attach it to another piece of legislation elicited intense opposition by the Senate leadership.

I am often approached by citizens wishing to contribute their time and energy to the community. Allow me to suggest the Sheriff’s Citizens Patrol Volunteer Program as a wonderful way to help out.

As a member of the Citizens Patrol, you will have an opportunity to serve side by side with our deputy sheriffs and perform a variety of valuable services for our citizens and visitors to Pinellas County. Some of the responsibilities include seizing and recovering found property, assisting with disabled motor vehicles, directing traffic at crash scenes, issuing parking tickets, participating in community events, child fingerprinting and vacation house checks,to name a few.

Next month the Sheriff’s Office will begin enforcing a new County Alarm Ordinance. The ordinance, which will become effective on July 1, 2009, will require home and business owners to register their alarm systems with our office, or face the possibility of being fined for any false alarms which may occur at the home or business.

Pinellas County, FL.

We recently announced the implementation of a new program at the Sheriff’s Office called “Project Lifesaver”. It is a program that I feel will provide peace of mind to those Pinellas County citizens who are caregivers for a family member or other persons who have Alzheimer’s, autism or related special needs.

Our deputy sheriffs and police officers from other agencies have contact with these individuals on a regular basis as many of them are known to walk away from their residence, become disoriented or lost. Frantic family members and caregivers then search for these persons, who many times do not wander far, but may become vulnerable to the elements, their lack of medication and possible foul play. 

If you have a computer and have ever received an e-mail, you have probably also received an unsolicited offer to purchase something far below the typical retail price, or an offer to make a large sum of money with what seems like little or no risk.  The use of the old adage that “if it seems too good to be true it probably is” has never been more appropriate than to describe offers like these.

In the past I have warned you about foreign lottery scams that continue to involve the transmission of thousands of e-mails sent and received daily across the country.  As the name implies, the mailings promise a chance to win a foreign lottery, and sometimes falsely serve as a notification that the targeted victim has already won.  A processing fee or “buy-in” for these lotteries is required from the “winner” supposedly for the purchase of “lucky lottery numbers” that would be theirs for a period of 3-12 months.  In many cases the appealing offer sounds legitimate to the victim, except they are never paid after sending in their money.  Some victims have later told detectives that they were afraid to stop responding to the mailings for fear of learning that the numbers would later become winners.

An Interview With Running Mayor Deborah Kynes

Dunedin, FL ( March 4, 2009) - Having been on the City Commission for ten years, Deborah Kynes is throwing her hat in the ring for Dunedin mayor. “I have this vision.  I have the skill I have proven leadership success and this is my hometown and I want to see it continue, to evolve and to keep its charm and its uniqueness and flavor,” says Kynes.

Clearwater, FL (January 2009) - Most people feel safe inside their own home and once inside, their personal belongings are often left unsecured or easily accessible. This is especially true when it comes to prescription medications. A recent trend suggests that medication has become a popular target for thieves.  I would like to take this opportunity to offer some suggestions on how to properly secure your prescription medications and to prevent the expense and inconvenience associated with this type of theft.

Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the theft of prescription medication from private homes.  In some cases the theft is part of a burglary in which the perpetrator targeted jewelry, cash, and small electronics.  After gathering valuables to steal, the burglar simply opened a medicine cabinet before leaving and then took whatever prescription medication that was in plain view.  In other cases, a theft was committed by trades people, invited guests, or even relatives who had access to medication that was in a medicine chest or left out in plain view.  Some thefts were not discovered for an extended period of time because individual pills had been stolen or because the medication was no longer being taken by the victim.

From the Desk of Sheriff Jim Coats December 2008

As we begin the New Year, I would like to thank the citizens of Pinellas County for their overwhelming support.  I look forward to my second term as your Sheriff, and my staff and I have implemented many initiatives despite having faced some serious and unprecedented budget challenges along the way.  

All of our programs and services have been scrutinized to determine their cost effectiveness and productivity.  This analysis became especially important during the past year when it became clear that there would be a significant reduction in our budget even though our operating costs had increased.  Through some reorganization, including the elimination of some positions and modification of services, we endured and we are now planning for the future.

It is anticipated that we will once again face budget cuts in the coming fiscal year; however, I am confident that our ongoing efforts to ensure efficiency will allow us meet the challenge ahead.  Some of the initiatives aimed at saving money,  while still providing superior service to our citizens, include improvements in some patrol operations, crime prevention programs, and the use of volunteers.