Although the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has not yet disseminated a formal “press release,” our office has recently learned that Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has reinstated the PCSO DUI squad.
This information was elicited by Russo & Russo lawyer Tim Sullivan today during a “Motion to Suppress Evidence” hearing. Sullivan was challenging the legality of a client’s Clearwater traffic stop and subsequent arrest. During the testimony, PCSO Sergeant Howard Skaggs admitted that although a DUI squad did not exist at the time Sullivan’s client was arrested, that was all about to change. Skaggs thereafter testified that just this past weekend, he had been formally appointed as the supervisor of that agency’s newly reformed DUI Enforcement team.
Citing budgetary woes and a need to cut spending, former Sheriff Jim Coats elected to eliminate the DUI Enforcement Unit in 2008. As a result, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office experienced markedly diminished DUI arrests subsequent to the abolishment of this unit. In fact, statistics from the Pinellas County Clerk of Court and Sheriff’s office show that DUI arrests decreased by 62% following the disbandment of the PCSO DUI Squad in 2008. See: Less DUI Enforcement in Pinellas Means Fewer Arrests.
The newly elected Sheriff’s decision to reinstate the DUI Enforcement Unit comes on the heels of another major move by him. Last month, he announced that his agency was reforming the “Violent Offender Warrant Unit” which had likewise been been eliminated by budgetary cuts in 2009. See: Pinellas Sheriff Reverses Course, Reconstitutes Fugitive Unit
Gualtieri has exhibited a desire to aggressively patrol the streets of Pinellas County for impaired drivers over the past two years. This is demonstrated by his repeated efforts in coordinating DUI Checkpoints, roadblocks and “Wolf Pack” operations. His man power to patrol the streets in search of impaired drivers has likewise been enhanced, since the PCSO recently inherited St. Pete Beach Police officers after that police department was disbanded. See: Majority of St. Pete Beach Police Officers to Work for Sheriff.
Our office expects that the Sheriff’s decision to dedicate an elite group from his agency to investigate only DUI offenses will quickly translate into increased Pinellas County DUI arrests. If you or a loved one have been arrested for a DUI in the St. Petersburg / Clearwater area, we are lawyers that can help!
the dismissal of charges.
At Russo & Russo, we are Pinellas Attorneys who represent clients charged with DUI and other criminal offenses arising out of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and the Pinellas County area. Former state prosecutors who can help!
Free Consultation: 727-578-0303
Related Links:
DUI Checkpoints Not Always Legal
Pinellas Underage Drinkers are at Greatest Risk to Experience a DUI Arrest
Related Video Links:
Arrested at a Pinellas DUI Checkpoint?
You Need an Attorney for a DUI Charge?
Fighting a Pinellas County Traffic Ticket
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Posted by: Suzy Frame | March 19, 2013 at 07:50 PM