Annual Report, Year 2006 - Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Table of Contents 

Letter from the Sheriff ....................................................................................Page 4 

Introduction to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office ........................................Page 5 

Sheriff’s Office Values and Mission Statement ..............................................Page 5 

Jurisdictional Area and Sheriff’s Office Locations...........................................Page 6 

Sheriff’s Command Staff ................................................................................Page 8 

Quarterly and yearly employee awards..........................................................Page 9 

General News and Events, 2006 ...................................................................Page 10 

Performance Charts and Statistics.................................................................Page 20 

Organizational Charts.....................................................................................Page 24 

Command Structure, Overview ......................................................................Page 27 

Divisions and Departments, Accomplishments in 2006 .................................Page 27 

Legal and Civil Division ..................................................................................Page 27 

Internal Affairs ................................................................................................Page 28 

Bureau of Administration ................................................................................Page 29 

Bureau of Operations .....................................................................................Page 33 

South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.........................................Page 51 

Bureau of Corrections ....................................................................................Page 53 

Annual Report Credits: 

Cover photo: 

Andy Newman, Monroe County Tourist Development Council 

Publication edited by: 

Public Information Officer and Web Designer Deputy Becky Herrin 

Layout and Design by: 

Public Information Officer and Web Designer Deputy Becky Herrin 

Statistics and charts provided by: 

Crime Analyst Bonnie Randolph 

Human Resource Specialist DeShawn Jackson 

Finance Director Amy Heavilin 

The Monroe County Corrections Division 

3

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Annual Report - 2006 

After two years of frequent hurricanes, 2006 was, in a way, a restful year. We were 

all able to spend some time recovering from those two difficult years. The Sheriff’s 

Office spent a good part of the year undergoing construction at it’s headquarters building. 

Leaking windows and a leaking facade on the building had to be repaired and for 

several months, our headquarters employees had to move in to trailers in the parking 

lot while drywall was repaired, carpets replaced and windows repaired and sealed. 

We were also able to replace a good portion of the 60 vehicles we lost in Hurricane 

Wilma, but our fleet still remains below what it was pre-storm. 

During 2006, we acquired a new medical transport helicopter to replace our aging 

Huey. The 40 year old Huey began costing more to maintain than it was worth and, 

with the help of the County Commission, a Sikorsky helicopter configured for medical 

transport was purchased to replace it. The office also applied for and received an FAA 

Part 135 license which grants us the right to bill for the services of the helicopter. This should go a long way to 

help pay for the program. 

In 2006, our Intelligence Unit took on the task of Homeland Security liaison to the Region Seven Domestic 

Security Task Force. The State of Florida is broken up into regions for the purpose of being able to more quickly 

respond to all types of emergencies and our region, which includes Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami 

Dade County and Monroe County, meets regularly to discuss various issues relating to emergency response. 

The State regional task forces are also charged with handling the expenditure of federal Homeland Security 

funding. Our agency takes an active part in our region’s task force and, because of our efforts, we have been 

successful in bringing some of that funding back home to our county. 

In 2006, Homeland Security funds helped purchase new Bomb and SWAT trucks for the agency. Our SWAT 

team will no longer have to worry about their vehicle breaking down en route to a call, and the Bomb truck easily 

accommodates all the equipment necessary to respond to explosive device calls, including the robot which allows 

for remote examination of devices. 

The other important aspect to our participation on the task force is our ability to call on outside agencies for 

help in an emergency. Having the resources of Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County 

available to us should we need them will be invaluable if and when a large event such as a catastrophic storm or 

a terrorist related attack ever happens here. 

Crime went up slightly in 2006, but reports available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show 

that, despite the small uptick, we have seen a steady and dramatic decrease in crime over the years. To give 

perspective, the total number of major index crimes per 100,000 people for 1989 was13,062 and in 2005, it was 

4,604. Like this year, there have been several other years when our county has seen small increases but the 

overall picture is certainly impressive and we expect the trend downward to continue in coming years. 

There are many reasons for this long term decline in crime, not least of which is our hard working men 

and women who are out on the streets every day making sure they are as safe as possible. The support of 

the citizens of the County is also of paramount importance. Without the eyes and ears of the community, and 

everyone’s commitment to maintaining the safety and security of our county, we would not be able to do our job 

nearly as well. 

Let’s continue our partnership now and in future years. Together we can make sure our families, our children 

and our streets are safe. 

4

Annual Report - 2006 

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office 

Introduction to the Monroe County 

Sheriff’s Office 

As Monroe County has grown in population, the need for expanded 

state of the art Law Enforcement services has grown proportionately. 

The Sheriff’s Office provides Law Enforcement service to all of the Florida Keys, which include approximately 

112 miles of islands branching off the southern tip of Florida. The main highway, U.S. One runs from Florida City 

to Key West, and in that span, there are 45 bridges connecting the islands. 

In order to provide progressive service, the Sheriff’s Office employs 617 people. 210 of those are road patrol 

officers and detectives, 152 are Corrections Officers, 177 serve as support staff members and 78 people are 

employed by the Sheriff’s Office-managed HIDTA Group (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). 

The Florida Keys is a popular vacation spot and over 2,000,000 tourists visit the Keys each year. In peak 

season (January until April) the population of the county may reach as high as 150,000. 

In order to serve the unique population of the Keys, the Sheriff’s Office has new, state of the art detention 

facilities located in Stock Island, Marathon and Plantation Key. The main Sheriff’s Office Administration building 

is also located on Stock Island, with patrol substations on Cudjoe Key, Marathon (Key Vaca) , Islamorada, and 

Plantation Key. 

The Sheriff’s Office has a fully equipped Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), as well as a Dive 

Team, Bomb Squad, Special Investigations Unit (specializing in drug investigations) and two K-9 teams. 

Mission Statement 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to providing a safe and secure community through partnerships 

and by working to attain the highest level of professionalism and accountability. 

Sheriff’s Office Values 

In support of our mission, members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office are committed to upholding the 

following values. 

WE VALUE upholding the laws in an ethical, impartial, courteous and professional manner while respecting 

the rights and dignity of all persons. We will be compassionate and provide assistance to victims and those in 

need. 

WE VALUE promoting a sense of trust and respect for all people, including those in our agency. 

WE VALUE that the police and the community share in the responsibility for crime control and public safety, 

and that the role of the police is defined by the community it serves. 

WE VALUE and encourage problem solving, creative risk taking, initiative, and affecting change. We will 

recognize and reward those who contribute to the development of more effective ways of providing police services 

and those who apply creative solutions to problems. We recognize that growth and learning are the positive 

consequences of honest mistakes. 

WE VALUE the reduction and prevention of crime through community partnerships and problem solving. 

WE VALUE the team concept. Successful completion of the task is more important than who gets the credit 

for the work. 

WE VALUE and believe in high professionalism standards of integrity, ethics, and behavior, guided by the 

letter and spirit of the law, and the law enforcement code of ethics. We take responsibility for our own actions. 

We will act appropriately and responsibly and require the same of others. 

5


Jurisdictional Area 

The Florida Keys are a chain of islands extending south and west from the southern tip of Florida. From 

the Monroe County line at the 112 mile marker of Highway U.S. One to the island of Key West at the five mile 

marker of the same highway, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is the primary law enforcement agency providing 

service to the citizens of the county. The agency also is charged with operating county detention facilities 

an d serving civil papers in the entire county. 

The Sheriff’s Office has it’s main Headquarters building, and it’s main Detention Center just outside of Key 

West on Stock Island. The county is broken up into Sectors, including the Lower Keys (Sector One), the Middle 

Keys (Sector’s Four and Five), Islamorada (Sector Six) and the Upper Keys (Sector Seven). 

While the Sheriff’s Office is the primary law enforcement agency for Monroe County, other local, state and 

federal agencies also operate in the Florida Keys. The Florida Highway Patrol investigates most accidents on 

Keys roadways. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission takes care of most waterborne law enforcement 

activities. The Naval Air Station, located in the lower Keys, has it’s own security force. The city of Key West has 

it’s own police force, as does the city of Key Colony Beach. The Sheriff’s Office works closely with all law enforcement 

agencies in the Keys, and enjoys a good working relationship with all of them. 

Sheriff’s Office Locations 

Headquarters: Located at 5525 College Road on Stock Island, the Sheriff’s Headquarters building houses 

all the main Administrative offices responsible for day to day operations, including the Finance Division, the 

Human Resources Division, Records and Warrants Divisions, Internal Affairs, Information Systems, the Training 

Division, the Legal Division, the Community Relations Division, Professional Standards and Planning and 

Research. Detectives working lower Keys cases also have an office in the Headquarters building. Housed 

separately at the Courthouse complex in Key West at 500 Whitehead Street, is the Sheriff’s Civil Division and 

the Property Division. 

Department of Juvenile Justice :The DJJ building is built adjoining the Sheriff’s Main Detention Facility 

at 5503 College Road, Stock Island. The first floor is dedicated to a Juvenile Detention facility run by the 

Department of Juvenile Justice. The second floor houses the Sheriff’s main supply office, Juvenile Programs 

Office, Victim’s Advocates and an office for detectives with the Sheriff’s Crimes Against Women and Children’s 

Unit, as well as a fully equipped gymnasium used by Sheriff’s employees. 

Freeman Substation - Cudjoe Key: The Freeman Substation, at 20950 Overseas Highway, is at the 21 

mile marker of Highway U.S. One, on Cudjoe Key. It is home to lower Keys Road Patrol and two detectives 

who work lower Keys cases. Sector One runs from the city limits of Key West to the south end of the Seven 

Mile Bridge. 

Marathon Substation: The Marathon Substation, at 3103 Overseas Highway, mile marker 48.7 in the city 

of Marathon, houses middle Keys Road Patrol, and detectives. There is a satellite Records Office and Property 

Division, as well as a Civil deputy assigned to the substation. Sector Four includes the city of Marathon, from 

the north end of the Seven mile bridge to Tom’s Harbor Cut Bridge at the 60.5 mile marker of Highway U.S. 

One; and Sector Five runs from Tom’s Harbor Cut Bridge to the Islamorada city limits, at the 74 mile marker 

of Highway U.S. One. The Sheriff’s Communications building is also in Marathon, housed separately, in the 

Florida State building at 2796 Overseas Highway at the 47.5 mile marker. 

Aviation Division Headquarters: The Aviation Hanger, home to the Sheriff’s Aviation Division, is on the 

grounds of the Marathon Airport at 10100 Overseas Highway at the 52 mile marker. In addition to housing all 

Sheriff’s Office aircraft, it also provides a home to the Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post and Firearm’s trailer. The 

building has a fully functional and equipped training classroom, and a gymnasium used by Sheriff’s employees. 

Special Operations Division and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area: This building, at the north end 

of Marathon, houses detectives assigned to work specific types of crimes including narcotics, homicides and 

Crimes Against Women and Children. Victim Advocates are housed here, as is the Sheriff’s Intelligence Officer. 

The South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA) also works out of this building, coordi- 

6



nating long term money laundering, racketeering and other types of investigations involving the cooperative 

involvement of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. 

Islamorada Substation: Servicing the law enforcement needs of the Village of Islamorada, the Islamorada 

substation is at 87000 Overseas Highway, mile marker 87. Sector Six road patrol is housed here. Sector 

Six runs from the 73 mile marker, at the south end of the Channel Two Bridge, to the 90.5 mile marker at the 

Tavernier Creek Bridge. 

The Roth Building - Plantation Key: The Roth Building, at 50 High Point Road in Tavernier services 

Sheriff’s Office Sector Seven, which runs from the northernmost city limits of Islamorada at mile marker 90.2 

(Tavernier Creek Bridge), to the county line at the 112 mile marker of Highway U.S. One, and includes Ocean 

Reef and parts of Card Sound Road and State Road 905. 

Main Detention Center: The Main Detention Center, at 5501 College Road, holds up top 596 inmates and 

includes a professional grade kitchen, Sick bay and Medical offices, as well a Video First Appearance Room 

and an officer’s dining room. Inmates from the lower Keys, as well as all inmates judged to be violent or high 

profile are housed here. The Commander of the Detention Division has his office in the facility and the day to 

day operations are overseen by two Captains, one Administrative and one in charge of Operations. 

Marathon Detention Center: The Marathon Detention Center is a satellite facility that houses 20 inmates 

judged to be “low risk”. Located at 3981 Overseas Highway at the 49 mile marker in Marathon, the facility is 

run by a Lieutenant who reports to the Detention Commander. 

Plantation Key Detention Center: The upper Keys Detention facility houses 40 inmates judged to be “low 

risk” and is located at 53 High Point Road at the 89 mile marker of Highway U.S. One in Tavernier. The facility 

is run by a Lieutenant who reports to the Detention Commander. 

1 

Key Largo 

Plantation 

Islamorada 

Tavernier 

Layton 

Islamorada Substation 

1 

Big Pine Key 

Key Colony Beach 

Marathon 

Roth Building, Plantation Key 

Plantation Key Detention Center 

Key West 

Stock Island 

Freeman Substation 

Cudjoe Key 

Marathon Substation 

Marathon Detention Center 

Aviation Division 

Special Investigations/HIDTA 

Headquarters and 

Stock Island Detention Center 

Department of Juvenile Justice 

7


Sheriff’s Command Staff 

In front, left to right: 

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Wagner, HIDTA Group 

Captain Ted Migala, Reserve Unit 

Captain Joe Leiter, Sector Six - Islamorada 

Captain Rick Remley, Bureau of Corrections - Operations 

Captain Don Hiller, Sector Seven - Upper Keys 

Bureau Chief Mike Rice, Administration 

Rear, left to right: 

Sheriff Richard D. Roth 

Sheriff’s General Counsel Mark Willis 

Major Tommy Taylor, Bureau of Corrections - Commander 

Captain Bob Peryam, Sector Four and Five - City of Marathon and the Middle Keys 

Captain Penny Phelps, Bureau of Corrections - Administration 

Captain Chad Scibilia, Sector One - Lower Keys 

Captain Ross Thomson - Special Operations and Monroe County HIDTA Group 

HIDTA Captain Joe Mendez 

Director Bill Martin, National HIDTA Assistance Center 

Colonel Richard Ramsay - Undersheriff 

Not pictured: HIDTA Major Joel Widell 

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Quarterly and yearly employee awards 

Employee of the year, 2006 

Left to right: Lael Freeman, Andrew Marazzo-Ensminger, Andrea 

Rainer, Raye Liu, David Bickford and Sheriff Rick Roth. Not 

pictured: Andrew Paskiewicz. 

Employees of the first quarter, left 

to right: Deputy John Gabay, Airport 

Security Technician Ronald Wheeler, 

Cadet Alicia Peteck, Reserve Lt. Dave 

Bickford and Sheriff Rick Roth. Not 

pictured is Detention Deputy Timothy 

Stevens. 

Employee of the third quarter, left to right: 

Detention Deputy Denise Martinez, Sgt. 

Andrew Marazzo-Ensminger,, Cadet 

Thomas Mirabella, Communications 

Officer Carolina Diesen, Reserve Deputy 

Juan Neyra, Detention Records Supervisor 

Lael Freeman. 

Employees of the second quarter, left to 

right: Sheriff Rick Roth, Cadet Alyssa Vartoumian, 

Records Assistant Rita Hinerman, 

Detention Deputy John Rodriguez, 

Deputy Wilfredo Guerra and Reserve 

Deputy John Marlowe. 

Employees of the fourth quarter, left to 

right, Det. Linda Mixon, Communications 

Officer Raye Liu, Reserve Deputy (now 

Deputy) Juan Llera, Programs Asst. Jeffrey 

Brown and Sgt. Andrew Paskiewicz. 

Not pictured is Cadet Andrea Ranier. 

9


January 2006 

General News and Events, 2006 

Headquarters personnel move into trailers 

Due to a number of Workman’s Compensation claims filed by employees siting mold exposure as the 

cause of illness in the Sheriff’s Headquarters building, two trailers were set up in the parking lot as satellite 

offices. Monroe County Public Works began tearing out walls and carpets in an effort to make sure the working 

environment was a healthy and clean one. 

Surprise 40th Anniversary party 

The Sheriff was surprised when he walked in to the 

Trumbo Palms Restaurant on the Navy Base in Key West 

January 19th. He found a 40th anniversary party waiting for 

him, along with 116 of his closest allies in law enforcement 

and related fields waiting to thank him for all the years he’s 

dedicated to Monroe County law enforcement. 

February 2005 

Reserve Deputy Sally- 

Ann Crawford fingerprints 

a child. 

Reserves fingerprint 60 

children in Key Largo 

On February 25th, Sheriff’s 

Office Reserves in Key Largo took 

photos and fingerprinted 60 children. They fingerprinted the children using special 

Child Identification Kits from the Sheriff’s Office and employees of the Publix Supermarket 

took the photos. The kits and photos were then given to the children’s 

parents for their files. 

Suspect located in murder for hire plot 

A Keys man, wanted for his part in a murder for hire plot, was arrested in 

February. The man was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder. He was solicited 

to commit the offense while in jail. The man who hired him reportedly told him 

he’d pay him $200 to kill his Big Pine Key neighbor. The plot was uncovered after 

Detectives received information about their plans.Both men have been charged in 

the plot. 

Drug Sting nets ten 

In February, Sheriff’s Special Investigations Detectives set up a drug sting near 5th Avenue on Stock 

Island Friday night, arresting ten people who purchased crack cocaine. An undercover operative sold crack 

cocaine and the purchasers were then arrested and all of them were charged with solicitation to purchase the 

illegal substance and possession of it as well. Assisting in the operation was the Sheriff’s Special Weapons and 

Tactics Team and the Key West Police Street Crimes Unit. 

March 2006 

Special Escort for Iraq War vets 

On March 5th, the Sheriff’s Office and other emergency service groups provided a special escort for a 

group of six veterans wounded in Iraq as they traveled from the county line to Islamorada. Citizens lined the 

highway waving flags and cheering the group. The escort was organized by Deputy Luis Blasco at the request 

of Frank Hawkins, CEO of Hawk Associates. Hawkins set up the much needed vacation for the group, getting 

donations from area businesses for a hotel, food, charter fishing trips and more. 

10 

Sheriff Rick Roth and his wife, Sandi at his 

40th Anniversary party.



Ceremony at Fallen Deputy’s grave site 

On March 10th, the Sheriff’s Office held a special ceremony at the newly discovered grave site of fallen 

officer Deputy Frank Adams. Adams was killed in the line of duty October 7, 1901. His grave site, lost for 

decades, was found by Sheriff Rick Roth, with the help of 

Russell Brittain, the Sexton of the Key West Cemetary, and 

Historian Tom Hambright. Money was raised and a special 

headstone was purchased to mark the grave. 

Explorer takes First in shooting 

At an Explorer Delegate Conference held March 10 

- 12 in Orlando, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Explorer 

Brian Backhus took first place in a shooting competition. 

Backhus, a member of the Sheriff’s Explorer Pistol Team, 

came in first place out of 15 shooters firing a .38 caliber 

revolver. 

Long time deputy and native Key Wester 

dies 

On March 14th the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office lost a 

dedicated law enforcement officer and Key West lost a native 

son with the death of 45 year old James Williams. Deputy 

Williams was found dead at his home in Key West. A funeral 

with full honors was held to honor his service to the community. 

Sheriff’s School Crossing Guard dies 

On March 14th the Sheriff’s Office lost a long-time school crossing guard with the death of Richard “Buck” 

Sawyer. Sawyer died of natural causes at his home in Key West. For six years, the dedicated crossing guard 

helped children as they crossed Kennedy Drive on their way to school at Poincianna Elementary School. 

April 2006 

Law officers run torch for Special Olympics 

On April 14th, the Sheriff’s Office participated in the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. The 

run started in Key West, with stops at area 

schools, followed by a run in Marathon later in 

the day. 

Officers attend boating class 

A law enforcement boating class was held 

in April to support the effort of area law enforcement 

agencies to become more active in 

area waters. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office 

participated, along with Key Colony Beach 

Police and the U.S. Coast Guard. The purpose 

of the class was to train students in the safe 

law enforcement operation of small vessels 

such as those the Sheriff’s Office operates. 

Head and partial spine found 

Fishermen visiting the Keys in April recovered a human head and part of a spine in the waters off of 

Islamorada Sunday afternoon. Three men fishing off shore saw something floating in the water near Alligator 

Reef. They discovered it was a human head with a small portion of the spine still attached. The body could not 

be readily identified, and there was no obvious sign of the cause of death. 

11 

Colonel Rick Ramsay (left) and Major Tommy 

Taylor place a wreath at the gave marker of Deputy 

Frank Adams, killed in the line of duty in October 

1901. 

Law Enforcement boating class held in April.


Sheriff’s Detective receives high honor 

A detective with the Sheriff’s Internal Affairs Division received 

the State of Florida’s “Top Criminal Justice Officer of 

the Year” award for 2006. Detective Janine Gedmin traveled 

to Tallahassee to accept the award from Governor Jeb Bush 

and Attorney General Charlie Crist during a ceremony marking 

National Crime Victim’s Rights Week. Prior to transferring to 

her current job, she served in the Crimes Against Women and 

Children’s Unit for a number of years, investigating primarily 

sexual abuse related crimes against adults and children. 

Four people charged after cocaine found in 

Stock Island residence 

Four Stock Island residents were arrested after a search warrant 

was served at their home. The search turned up seven crack 

cocaine “cookies” weighing a total of 106 grams with an approximate 

street value of $10,000.00; two plastic bags of powdered cocaine in two separate bedrooms; marijuana, 

Xanax and other unidentified pills 

May 2006 

Perisho murder case closed; attributed to Carl Brandt 

Detective Janine Gedmin is congratulated by 

Sheriff Rick Roth on receiving “Top Criminal 

Justice Officer of the Year. 

The 1989 murder of Sherry Perisho in the waters off of Big Pine Key has been closed by Homicide Investigators 

with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The killing was attributed to Carl Brandt, the man responsible 

for killing his wife, his wife’s niece and then himself in Seminole County in September of 2004. 

“Brandt lived in the area at the time. We have information from a witness that Brandt’s wife, Terri, saw him 

wet, with blood on him at the time of the murder. That, coupled with the similarities to the murders in Seminole 

County, the fact that Brandt shot and killed his mother when he was young, and all the other aspects of our 

investigation lead us to believe that Carl Brandt was the killer of Sherry Perisho,” said Detective Sgt. Patricia 

Dally. 

“We are satisfied that Carl Brandt was the murderer of Sherry Perisho,” said Sheriff Rick Roth. “Our 

investigators have worked long and hard on this case and I am proud that they’ve been able to close it and, 

perhaps, bring some closure to relatives of Sherry who want to know what happened to her,” he said. 

Hospitality Expo in Islamorada sees large law enforcement presence 

One of the largest water-bourne law enforcement deployments in the Keys took place May 15-17 in Whale 

Harbor Channel. Overflow from the Hospitality Expo held at Holiday Isle Resort into Whale Harbor Channel, 

and onto the sandbar off shore required the large marine law enforcement presence. 

Plane from Cuba causes stir at Key 

West airport 

A small aircraft caused a stir at the Key West 

Airport when it landed. Monroe County Sheriff’s 

Office Airport Security Director Jerome Fain received 

a call from U.S. Customs in Riverside, California who 

said the aircraft was en route to the Key West Airport 

from Cuba. They asked that the plane be detained 

when it landed. The plane, and the two pilots seen 

pushing it in the attached photos, were turned over to 

U.S. Customs officers. 

This Plane, traveling from Cuba, caused quite a stir at the 

Key West Airport. 

12



Sheriff opens satellite office on Stock Island 

In May, the Sheriff’s Office opened a new satellite office on Stock Island thanks to the Lincoln Property 

Company, which manages the Stock Island Apartments at 5501 Third Avenue. 

The management company donated an office at the apartment building to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies 

on patrol in the area will be able to stop in and do paperwork at the 

location, still remaining close enough to respond to calls in the area 

quickly. 

Rescuers pulled two people out of a 

plane that crashed into a Marathon 

canal. 

June 2006 

Plane crash in Marathon 

A plane crashed into a Marathon canal, injuring the two people on 

board. The plane hit two utility poles near 109th Street and 5th Avenue, 

snapping the tops off, then crashed nose down into a canal off of 

5th Avenue. Neighbors jumped into the water, pulling the two people 

out of the plane. Both men were taken to Fishermen’s Hospital, then 

air lifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. 

Police Memorial Day 

Teen Court program holds awards ceremony 

The Teen Court program held an awards ceremony and end 

of year party in June. Program volunteers attended the gathering, 

and three were honored for the hours they donated during the 

past year. Volunteers Julie Russell, Kayla Lyons and Thuy Van all 

received $50 savings bonds for donating the most hours to Teen 

Court. Each of them donated an impressive 25 hours of their time 

to the program. Sele Gordon, a graduating Senior, also received 

a savings bond for working with Teen Court as a volunteer for the 

past four years. 

Deputies take part in helicopter off-shore 

rescue training 

In June, Islamorada Marine Deputy Nelson Sanchez and 

Lower Keys Marine Deputy Tom Peteck participated in a joint 

training operation with US Coast Guard Station Islamorada and 

US Coast Guard Air Operations in Miami on air marine rescues. 

Officers learned how to lift an injured person off a vessel using a 

rescue basket deployed from a USCG helicopter. 

Employees take medals in Law Enforcement games 

The Sheriff’s Office took part in Police Memorial Day ceremony held 

in Key West to honor those officers killed in the line of duty. 

The annual Florida Law Enforcement and Firefighter Games were held in June in Jacksonville; Sheriff’s 

Office competitors took home a total of 12 medals in the games competing in bowling and in shooting events. 

July 2006 

Sheriff’s Office sees significant reduction in major crimes 

In July, the Sheriff’s Office announced that crime was once again down significantly in Monroe County. 

County wide, excluding the cities of Key West and Key Colony Beach, major crimes are down by 11.9 percent. 

Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office cleared 24 percent of those crimes, a number above the state average of 22.6 

percent. 

13 

Key West Police Chief Bill Mauldin (left) 

and Sheriff Rick Roth salute a wreath laid 

in honor of fallen officers at Police Memorial 

Day.


DUI Checkpoint in Islamorada 

DUI checkpoint in Islamorada the night of July 1st 

showed results with four people arrested for driving under 

the influence of alcohol. Other results included 487 vehicles 

stopped, 38 non-criminal traffic citations issued, 12 criminal 

citations issued, 41 warnings issued and nine miscellaneous 

arrests. 

New TraumaStar arrives in Monroe County 

The new TraumaStar helicopter flew into Monroe County 

July 4th, touching down at the Marathon airport, where it 

will be housed at the Sheriff’s Aviation Hanger. The 1982 

Sikorsky S-76A++ was purchased by the Board of County 

Commissioners from Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, 

Pennsylvania for $3.7 million dollars. It has twin Jet turbine 

engines and will travel at 175 miles per hour. It is configured to 

carry up to two pilots, two patients and four caregivers. 

Keys Kids Classic Fishing Tournament 

With 4 -5 foot seas the 2006 Florida Keys Kids Classic 

Fishing Tournament was held in July. All kids who participated 

received a gift bag filled with fishing items. The award ceremony 

and pizza party was held at Founders Park in Islamorada. The proceeds from this tournament went to local 

charities and kids events. 

Two day sport lobster season wrap up 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was busy over the two day sport 

lobster season throughout the Keys. 

In the lower Keys, two boats and one personal watercraft made 90 boating 

contacts the first day and 40 contacts the second day. A small number of 

warnings were issued for minor safety violations. A 66 year old woman died 

while getting ready to dive at Contents Key, off of Big Pine Key and a couple 

died while diving off of Big Pine Key. 

In the middle Keys, one boat and two personal watercraft worked offshore, 

between the Seven Mile Bridge and the Long Key Bridge. They made 

303 boat contacts, issuing one notice to appear in court for short lobster, one 

for possession of egg bearing lobster and nine warnings for undersized lobster. 

Two boats assigned to the Islamorada Sector stopped a total of 87 vessels, 

issued four notices to appear for fisheries violations, gave two verbal 

Marine Deputy William Guerra 

checks a lobster to see if it is warnings, responded to two suspicious boat calls, assisted the Coast Guard 

legal during the two day Sport on one call and responded to three medical calls on the water, as well as one 

dive related fatality - a 36 year old man diving with a buddy on Davis Reef off 

of Plantation Key. 

In Sector Seven, two boats and one personal water craft worked offshore, making 98 contacts, and issuing 

two notices to appear in court for possessing short lobster, along with nine citations and eight written warnings. 

Deputy collapses at fourth of July parade 

The new Trauma Star made it’s first public 

appearance in Monroe County in July. There 

to greet the new craft was, left to right, Former 

County Commissioner David Rice, Sheriff Rick 

Roth, Marathon City Commissioner Margie 

Mearns, County Fire Chief Clark Martin and 

Marathon City Manager Mike Puto. 

A Sheriff’s deputy collapsed while working at a parade Tuesday morning in the upper Keys. 

Deputy Steve Kalogeras was working at the Fourth of July parade in Key Largo when he suddenly collapsed. 

Deputy Sean Heffron and Deputy Nick Pham rushed to his side but he was not breathing and showed 

no signs of life. They performed CPR until Fire/Rescue units arrived. Deputy Kalogeras was rushed to Mariner’s 

Hospital where he ultimately recovered. 

At the time of his collapse, Deputy Kalogeras worked in the upper Keys as a Civil Deputy. He was hired by 

14



the Sheriff’s Office in December of 1987 as a road patrol deputy. He was shot while responding to a burglary 

call in 1989. After recovering from the shooting, he was transferred to the Civil Division in October of 1991 

where he has worked since then. 

Five million in cocaine found off shore in a week 

The cocaine was packaged in three bundles of 30 kilos each. 

One was found by a dive captain off of Key Largo. The second 

package was found by two Key Largo men fishing off shore of Pennekamp 

State park. The third turned up off shore of Marathon, found 

by a fisherman. 

The uncut value was approximately $2.5 million. Street value 

of the drugs, once the drugs are diluted with “cut” and packaged for 

sale would be about $5 million. 

Nevada man arrested for Ebay fraud 

Sheriff’s detectives caught a Nevada man engaged in defrauding 

people on Ebay. 

With the assistance of law enforcement officers in Henderson, 

Nevada, detectives say a warrant has been served charging the man 

with Communications Fraud and Grand Theft. The victim told Captain Chad Scibilia he’d purchased computer 

equipment on Ebay, using PayPal, but never received the equipment. 

The person selling the computer equipment was traced to Henderson, Nevada. A warrant was issued 

and he was arrested there for Communications Fraud and Grand Theft. Detectives say they believe he may 

have defrauded as many as 12 other people in the United States and Canada. 

August 2006 

National Night Out 

Sector Six and Seven Sheriff’s Sectors participated 

in the nationwide National Night Out event on August first. 

There was live entertainment, food and other refreshments 

as well as many games and prizes for kids. The purpose of 

the National Night Out is to get community members together 

with local law enforcement officers so they can get to know 

one another. National Night out is a yearly event which takes 

place all over the country on the first Tuesday of August. 

Upper Keys deputies are given two new 

bikes for patrol 

Key Largo property owner Roger Allen, and his son 

Eric Deland, donated a new bicycle in August to be used in Dive Team member Detective Terry Smith 

law enforcement patrols in the upper Keys in Sector Seven. shows youngsters the gear worn by the team at 

Allen also joined together with Mark Wheaton from Wheaton’s the Key Largo National Night Out event. 

Service Station, Linda Perloff of GMAC Realty and Richard 

Donnelly of Coconuts Lounge to purchase a second patrol bike 

for the Sector. This effort to obtain donated patrol bicycles was spearheaded by Deputy E.B. Askins. 

DUI, traffic violations targeted in Islamorada 

Over the weekend of August 19 - 20, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Islamorada Sector along with 

Sheriff’s Office Traffic Enforcement deputies and the Florida Highway Patrol teamed up to combat drunk 

driving and other traffic related offenses occurring with The Village limits. The targeted effort was coordinated 

by Sgt. Tom Kiffney. 

A total of five arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol were made; 14 traffic citations were 

15 

Crime Scene Detective Jason Madnick 

stands with some of the kilos of cocaine 

recovered off of the upper Keys.


issued for running the red light at the 90 MM; six warnings were issued and one person was arrested for 

driving with license suspended. In addition to these traffic related cases, three drug arrests where made in 

Islamorada as well. 

September 2006 

Long time Sheriff’s Office Captain dies 

Harry Sawyer, Sr., long time employee of the Sheriff’s 

Office, died in September. He received full law enforcement 

honors at his funeral, held at the Big Coppitt Cemetary. Captain 

Sawyer retired in 1985 after 16 years with the department. 

Long time Crossing Guard dies 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said goodbye September 

4th to long time School Crossing Guard Raymond 

Greene. Greene has worked for the Sheriff’s Office for the 

past 10 years, since April of 1996. Greene died at Baptist 

Hospital in Miami. Greene spent many mornings and afternoons 

making sure Monroe County school children crossed 

the road safely, most lately working in the school zone at 

Poinciana School in the city of Key West. 

New Farmer at the Animal Farm 

Farmer Jeanne Selander started work at the Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm in September. She was hired 

after Farmer Elaine moved on to the greener pastures of a horse farm in South Carolina. Selander hails from 

Charleston, South Carolina. She moved to the Keys in 1998 to take the job of Assistant Curator at the Key 

West Aquarium. She has a B.A. in Biology from the College of Charleston. 

Sex Offender apprehended in New York City 

A man wanted for a sexual offense committed in Monroe County was apprehended by the U.S. Marshal’s 

Service in New York City. The man is accused of fondling and biting a six year old girl while fishing 

near the Shark Channel Bridge with her family. Detectives with the New York - New Jersey Regional Fugitive 

Task Force located him, arresting him in New York City on charges of Battery and Lewd and Lascivious Acts. 

Investigation into possible cat deaths 

The Sheriff’s Office investigated the possible deaths of up to 16 cats after the fumigation of businesses 

at the Fishing Village at Ocean Reef. Investigations revealed the incident took place on August 8th, when the 

businesses were scheduled to be tented and fumigated. According to witnesses, a Miami company called 

Termite and Fumigation went ahead with the fumigation without removing the cats that lived underneath the 

building. Witnesses described seeing the cats attempting to escape from the tents, pawing at the tent walls, 

“screaming and meowing to get out as they were being gassed.” 

Bale of marijuana found on Long Key 

A woman mowing her grass found a bale of marijuana washed up on shore. The woman, who lives at 

the 66 mile marker of the highway, called the Sheriff’s Office immediately. The tightly wrapped 25 pound 

package was near the water line when she found it. The drugs were reportedly soaking wet with sea water. 

October 2006 

Key West man charged with marijuana possession 

Detectives arrested a Key West man for possessing a large amount of Marijuana. A search warrant 

served at the Key West address turned up 237 grams of marijuana contained in two plastic bags in the 

bedroom closet. The resident was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell. 

16 

Training Sgt. John McGee passes a folded 

flag to Sheriff Rick Roth during a funeral for 

Harry L. Sawyer Sr.



Islamorada man arrested on drug charges 

A search warrant, served at an Islamorada motel, led to the arrest of an Islamorada man for trafficking 

in cocaine. Detectives served the warrant, finding a total of 84 grams of cocaine, 42 grams of marijuana, 57 

miscellaneous unidentified pills, drug paraphernalia and $2,943.00 cash.The Islamorada man was charged 

with trafficking in cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug 

paraphernalia. 

Anonymous tip leads to large cocaine seizure 

An anonymous tip about drug dealing led to the arrest of a Big Coppitt Key man for dealing and possessing 

cocaine. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, Key West Police, the Drug Enforcement 

Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement 

investigated reports a man was dealing drugs on Pinder Lane in Key West. They searched his van finding 

cocaine hidden in the driver’s door, the driver’s visor and in his wallet. They subsequently searched his residence 

on Big Coppitt Key finding 200 grams 

of cocaine hidden in a bag inside ductwork 

under the trailer. The man was charged with 

trafficking in cocaine. 

November 2006 

New addition to Animal Farm 

The Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm welcomed 

a new arrival in November: a baby 

Patagonian Cavy, born September 7th, 2006 

to two of the adult Cavies that have been with 

the farm for several years now. The Animal 

farm has a total of four adult Cavies and now, 

one baby. 

Trauma Star began flying again 

The new Trauma Star began flying trauma patients in November. The Sheriff’s trauma flight operation 

received final approval from the FAA and was granted a Part 135 license allowing the operation commercial 

status. This allows the Sheriff’s Office to bill for Trauma Star’s services. The helicopter also became available 

for inter-facility transports as needed. 

Since the 1982 Sikorsky S-76A++ arrived in Monroe County in July, four Sheriff’s Office pilots have been 

training to operate the new craft. They attended a special school to learn how to operate this particular model, 

then conducted many training flights in the county to become comfortable flying it. They also had to learn the 

locations of the various landing zones throughout the Keys where they will land to pick up trauma patients, and 

had to practice landing at each location. 

Sheriff’s Office participates in Toys for Tots 

In November, the Sheriff’s Office once again announced it would participate in the Toys for Tots program 

for the Christmas season. Donations of cash and new toys are dropped off each Christmas at all Sheriff’s 

Office facilities. Numerous events were held to raise money for the program, including a Bowl-a-thon in Islamorada, 

Members of the Sheriff’s Office also help with the purchase of toys, and with wrapping them and distributing 

them to needy families. 

Tequesta, Florida man injured while skydiving 

Patagonian Cavys at the Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm. 

A Tequesta, Florida man in the Florida Keys skydiving was severely burned when he hit power lines near 

the Marathon Airport. As the man approached the ground he became entangled with power lines near the 

airport. He and the power lines fell to the ground. He suffered severe burns over an estimated 15 to 20 percent 

of his body. He was airlifted from Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. 

17


Neighbor complaints lead to drug arrests 

After neighbors complained about lots of traffic at a home on Ryan Lane in Key Largo, detectives served a 

search warrant, arresting two men for a large amount of illegal narcotics. Detectives seized over $18,000 worth 

of ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. They also found equipment to manufacture fake identification 

cards. The equipment has been turned over to federal authorities for possible prosecution. They also 

found a book called “How to make driver’s licenses on your home computer”, along with a Gateway computer 

loaded with special software for making identification, cards and a specialized printer for printing the IDs. Two 

men were arrested. 

Elf break in at Sugarloaf School 

Sugarloaf School students learned the basics 

of crime scene investigation after an “Elf break in” 

was staged in their classroom. Deputies used crime 

scene tape to rope off the area, and the kids followed 

elf footprints to see how the miscreants got inside. 

They also learned about fingerprints, and how they 

identify people. 

Warrant sweep nets 10 arrests, clears 

28 outstanding warrants 

Sheriff’s detectives arrested 10 people during 

a warrants sweep Thursday night, clearing 28 outstanding 

warrants. The sweep took place in Marathon 

and was the culmination of an operation lasting 

several months called “Operation Crack Down” 

meant to target the sale of cocaine in the vicinity of 

public housing in the Marathon area. A number of those 

arrested were selling the drug near the public housing complex at 240 Sombrero Road and a number of them 

also lived in the complex or had family living there. 

African spurred tortoises join the menagerie 

at the Sheriff’s Office animal 

farm. 

December 2006 

Sugarloaf School students learn about crime scene 

investigation after an “Elf break in” at the school. 

Spurred Tortoises come to Animal Farm from crack 

house in Colorado 

The Sheriff’s Office Children’s Animal Park welcomed three new 

additions to it’s menagerie in December. Three African Spurred Tortoises 

joined the animal ranks. Two of the tortoises came from Colorado 

where they were found inside a home raided in a drug operation. Veterinarian 

Doug Mader heard about the reptiles and suggested they be 

sent to the Keys to the Animal Farm. The farm already had one African 

Spurred Tortoise - a 100 pound specimen named Albert. The third new 

tortoise, named Melanie, came from a woman on Sugarloaf Key. 

Homestead man charged with Marathon bank 

robbery 

A Homestead man admitted to robbing the Orion Bank in Marathon 

in December. Detectives say the man rode the JGT bus to Marathon on 

December 7th, bringing his bike with him. He randomly selected Orion 

Bank and robbed it, rode his bike back to the bus stop, and caught the 

JGT bus back to Homestead. A photo of him, taken from surveillance 

video in the bank, helped identify him. During questioning he admitted to 

robbing Orion Bank. He was charged with Bank Robbery. 

18



A Successful 2006 for Crime Stoppers 

Tips leading to the arrests of a bank robber and a sexual predator were among the criminal cases Crime 

Stoppers of the Florida Keys helped law enforcement agencies solve during 2006. Tips from the 24-hour Crime 

Stopper hotline resulted in 19 arrests, the clearing of 21 criminal cases and the recovery or seizure of more 

than twelve thousand dollars worth of drugs, cash and stolen property. Also, 293 tips received via phone and 

the Internet. 

Since starting operations in 1991, Crime Stopper tips have assisted local law enforcement with 319 arrests 

and with the recovery or seizure of over 324 thousand dollars worth of cash, drugs and stolen property. 

1-800-346-TIPS 

19


2500 

Crime Statistics 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

Murder 

Forcible Rape 

Robbery 

Aggravated Assault 

Burglary 

Larceny 

Motor Vehicle Theft 

0 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

Type of Crime 

Law enforcement agencies statewide are required to report specific crime statistics to the Florida 

Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). That agency, in turn, issues yearly summaries and detailed 

reports on crime, with comparisons county by county, city by city and statewide. Here is a five year 

comparison table of the Major Index Crimes for Monroe County (excluding the city of Key West), as 

reported by FDLE and based on information provided by the Sheriff’s Office Crime Analysis Unit. 

Total Crimes 

3000 

Total Crimes 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

20



140,000 

120,000 

Calls for Service 

107,065 

112,720 

117,246 121,746 120,132 

100,000 

86,030 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

0 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

Major Index Crimes - Clearance Rate 

30.00% 

25.00% 

Percentage Cleared 

20.00% 

15.00% 

10.00% 

*Monroe County Sheriff 

Miami-Dade County 

State of Florida 

5.00% 

0.00% 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

Year 

*Note: Numbers for Monroe County excluding the city of Key West. 

Miami Dade County and State of Florida figures not available for 2006. 

120,000 

100,000 

80,000 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

50,873 

513 371 82,216 

329 3,485 

Calls for Service Breakdown 

102,580 

411 4,074 

108,138 

472 4,110 

112,272 

541 4,433 116,586 

682 4,478 

115,438 

4,180 

514 

0 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

LAW ENFORCEMENT CALLS FIRE CALLS MEDICAL CALLS 

21


10,000 

9,000 

8,845 

Detention Center Bookings 

7,971 8,068 

7,906 7,782 

9,229 

8,000 

7,116 

7,000 

6,000 

5,000 

4,000 

3,000 

2,000 

1,000 

0 

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

Monroe County Sheriff's Office Five Year Budget Comparison 

30,000,000 

25,000,000 

20,000,000 

Budget by Function 

15,000,000 

10,000,000 

5,000,000 

- 

19,743,414 14,070,572 963,295 

Law Enforcement Corrections Court Security 

9/30/2003 19,743,414 14,070,572 963,295 

9/30/2004 20,538,350 14,578,169 1,036,443 

9/30/2005 22,603,869 15,477,658 1,153,159 

9/30/2006 24,417,750 16,524,411 1,248,916 

9/30/2007 26,153,871 17,176,602 1,281,898 

Fiscal Year Ending 

Monroe County Sheriff's Office Forfeiture Receipts 

7,000,000 

6,000,000 

5,000,000 

Receipts by Fund 

4,000,000 

3,000,000 

2,000,000 

1,000,000 

- 

Federal 

State 

9/30/2002 6,442,418 754,766 

9/30/2003 163,574 604,610 

9/30/2004 182,127 260,221 

9/30/2005 1,358,728 734,964 

9/30/2006 324,233 111,802 

22



Income from Contract Inmates 

$2,500,000 

$2,076,240 

$2,267,464 

$2,000,000 

$1,442,790 

$1,510,276 $1,570,874 

$1,642,706 

$1,500,000 

$1,000,000 

$500,000 

$0 

FY 2000/2001 FY 2001/2002 FY 2002/2003 FY 2003/2004 FY 2004/2005 2005/2006 

500 

Budgeted Position Allocation by Class 2006 

473 

450 

400 

350 

300 

250 

201 

184 

200 

142 

150 

120 

100 

66 

50 

0 

Deputies Corrections Support Staff HIDTA Managers Non-Managers 

35 

Personnel Turnover 

33.9 

30 

27.12 

28 

25 

20 

15 

10.55 

17.11 

14.94 15.66 

13.21 

7.0614.76 

16.1 

11.11 

14.47 

12.38 

11.27 

17.24 18.18 2.78 

10 

5 

5.13 

5.63 

0 

Detention Deputy - 2002 

Law Enforcement - 2002 

Support Staff - 2002 

H.I.D.T.A. - 2002 




H.I.D.T.A. - 2003 




H.I.D.T.A. - 2004 




H.I.D.T.A. - 2005 

Law Enforcement - 2006 

Detention Deputy - 2006 

Support Staff - 2006 

H.I.D.T.A. - 2006 

23


Chief 

Bureau of Administration 

Executive Director 

Finance 

Director 

Information Management 

Grants Administration 

Director 

Court Services 

Director Property & 

Evidence 

Lieutenant Professional 

Standards 


Human Resources 

Director – 

Communications 

Services & Programs 


Organizational Chart 

Sheriff 

Sheriff's Aide 

General Counsel 

Civil Division 

Undersheriff 

Bureau of Operations 

Major 

Bureau of Corrections 

Inspector General 

Sector 

Commander 

Sector 

Commander 

Site Commander 

Key West 


Key Vaca 

Sector 

Commander 

Sector 

Commander 


Plantation Key 

Commander Support 

Services 

Commander Criminal 

Investigations 

Director 

Aviation 

Director 

Programs 

Director Community 

Relations 

Director 


The Training Unit is under the direction of the Chairman of the 

Training Board who is a Law Enforcement Commander 

24





Colonel/ 

Undersheriff 

Law Enforcement 

Services 

Director 


Director 

Aviation 

Director 

Community Relations 

Captain/Commander 

Sector One 


Sector Four/Five 


Sector Six 


Sector Seven 

Captain 

Criminal Investigations 

& Special Operations 

Director 

KW Airport Security 

Administrative 

Dispatch 


Law Enforcement 

Support 

Public Information/ 

Web Site Development 

Crime Watch 


Patrol 


Patrol 


Patrol 


Patrol 


Criminal 

Investigations 

Crime Scene Unit 

Vice/Drugs/ 

Organized Crime 


Security 

Prisoner Transport 

School Resource Unit 

Cadets 

Monroe County 

School Crossing 

Guards 

KW School Crossing 

Guard Supervisor 

Monroe County 

HIDTA 

KW School 

Crossing Guards 

Crimes 

Against Persons 

Juvenile Programs 

Traffic 

Homeland Security/ 

Intelligence 



Chief 

Bureau of 

Administration 

Executive 

Assistant 

Workers Comp 


Finance & 

Accounting 


Human Resources 

Director 

Information 

Management 

Director 

Court 

Services 

Grants 

Administration 

Risk Manager 

Director 

Property, 

Evidence 

Lieutenant 

Professional 

Standards 

Bonds 

Payroll 

Supply 

Purchasing 

Fleet/Inventory 

Accounting 


Background 

Personnel 

Computer Systems 

Records 

Warrants 

Expungment 

Central Property 

and Evidence 

Satellite 

Property and 

Evidence 

Accreditation 

Staff Inspections 

Polygraphs 

Sheriff's Office 

Court Security 

HIDTA Grant 

25




Major 


Captain Key West 

Lieutenant Key Vaca 

Lieutenant 


Captain 

Support Services 

Director 

Programs 

Security 

Director 

Transportation 

Security 

Security 

Administration/ 

Corrections 

Accreditation 


Fiscal Control 

Sergeant 

Inmate Services 

Laundry 

Classification 

Supervisor 

Maintenance 

Identification 

Inmate Property 

Work Release 

Medical Services 

Food Services 

Main Control 

Commissary 

Animal Farm/ 

Landscaping 

Inmate 

Substance Abuse 

Inmate 

Education 

Receptionist 

Court Security 


Colonel/ 

Undersheriff 

Chief 


Director 


Sergeant 


Sergeant 

Marathon 

Sergeant 

Key West 

26



Sheriff’s Office Command Structure 

Sheriff Richard D. Roth 

Colonel Richard Ramsay 

Office of Sheriff 

Sheriff Richard D. Roth is ultimately responsible for every division and 

department in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. He is in touch, day to day, with 

the activities of the Sheriff’s Office through his chain of command. Most divisions 

and departments report to him through his second in command, Colonel Richard 

Ramsay. His Aide, Val Marinello, and General Counsel Mark Willis report directly 

to the Sheriff. 

Sheriff Roth maintains an open door policy for employees of the Sheriff’s 

Office as well as for members of the public. Anyone may make an appointment 

with him through his Aide. She can be reached at 305-292-7001 or by e-mail at 

vmarinello@keysso.net. Sheriff Roth can be reached directly by e-mail at 

rickroth@keysso.net. 

Undersheriff 

The Undersheriff reports directly to Sheriff Roth, and is responsible for 

the day to day actions of Sheriff’s Office personnel and for the enforcement of 

General Orders and policy within the Sheriff’s Office. He also handles the disposition 

of disciplinary action when members of the department violate policies and 

procedures. 

While his main office is at the Headquarters building on Stock Island, his 

duties necessitate he spend considerable time traveling throughout the Keys. 

This enables him to keep close track of what is taking place in the Sheriff’s Office 

at all times. 

General Counsel 

Mark Willis 

Divisions and Departments 

Legal Division 

The Legal Division provides counsel to the Sheriff and the agency’s many 

divisions as well as overseeing the Civil Division. The Legal Division is headed 

by Mark L. Willis, General Counsel, and includes Jonathan G. Ellsworth, Deputy 

General Counsel. 

Civil Division 

The Civil Division falls under the Legal Division and acts as the executive arm 

of the court system. Using deputies stationed throughout the County, the Civil 

Division receives, processes, and executes legal process including summonses, 

subpoenas, writs of executions, writs of possession, writs of attachment, writs of 

bodily attachment, injunctions and levies. The Division also handles the appointment 

of Private Process Servers, individuals that serve papers privately but are appointed by the Sheriff to 

serve process. 

The Division is supervised by long-time Sheriff’s Office employee Rachelle Gates and staffed by Yvette 

Valdez and Roxanne Rahming. There are five deputies assigned to the Division: Dep. Chris Scott working from 

Stock Island to Big Pine, Dep. Charlie Cobb working in Key West, Dep. Tony Pabon in Marathon and Deputies 

Dave Drennan and Steve Kalogeras in the upper Keys. 

The Division is looking forward to an update in the Sheriff’s Office computer system enabling them to place 

information online providing the public with more and quicker access. Currently, the Division makes a considerable 

amount of civil information available through the Sheriff’s web site, www.keysso.net, including a pamphlet 

27


on evictions in English and Spanish and a schedule of civil process fees required per Fla. Statue 30.231. You 

can contact the office at 305-295-3675 if you have any questions. 

Lt. Cindy Peryam 

Office of Internal Affairs 

Lt. Cindy Peryam directs the Office of Internal Affairs (IA), which is staffed by 

two investigators and an Executive Assistant. Inspector Jon Ellsworth and Inspector 

Janine Gedmin are assigned to Corrections and Law Enforcement/Patrol investigations. 

Inspector Ellsworth also handles forfeiture cases for the County. Inspector 

Gedmin is Co-chair of the Poinciana Advocacy Center, Vice-chair of the Monroe 

Community Shared Services Alliance, the Board of Directors of the Care Center for 

Mental Health and is also on the Pandemic Planning Committee (better known as 

the Bird Flu Board). Janine was chosen by the Florida Office of the Attorney General 

as the Criminal Justice Officer of the Year for her work with Victims’ Rights. The 

Executive Assistant is Ms. Jo DeCamp who joined us in February 2006. 

The primary function of IA is to investigate complaints against Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers. 

Additionally, IA accepts and tracks commendations from the public and from supervisors citing employees for 

exemplary performance. IA reviews grievances, lawsuits naming 

police employees, and employee and citizen complaints 

resulting from police action, and use of force. 

To emphasize quality, IA also identifies policy and procedural 

concerns regarding the Sheriff’s Office service to the 

citizens of Monroe County. IA conducts periodic reviews to 

find and correct deficiencies. In this way, the Sheriff’s Office 

continually seeks to improve the quality of its service to the 

people of the Florida Keys. 

IA conducts classes and offers in-service training to officers 

about internal investigations which helps them to better 

understand and respond to concerns voiced by citizens. 

During 2006, IA tracked 84 issues. Of that number, eight 

were Internal Affairs Investigations arising from complaints 

against deputies or Sheriff’s Office employees, four were 

Investigative Reviews of lawsuits, and eight were Administrative 

Inquiries. A list of all IA activity is available on our web site 

at www.keysso.net. 

There were 64 allegations of policy violations by supervisory personnel. Internal Affairs treats such violations 

the same as citizen complaints. Internal Affairs also received 279 commendations for officer performance 

this year. 

Where to File a Complaint 

For a complaint involving a law enforcement officer: 

• In the upper Keys, at the Plantation Key Sub-Station 305-853-3211 

• In the middle Keys, at the Marathon Sub-Station 305-289-2430 

• In the lower Keys, at the Cudjoe Sub-Station 305-745-3184 

For complaints involving our Office of Special Investigations, including detectives in the Drug Enforcement 

Unit, the Traffic Enforcement Division, Crimes Against Persons Unit and other major crimes, call 305-289-2410. 

For a complaint involving a corrections officer: 

• In the upper Keys, at the Plantation Key Detention Center 305-853-3266 

• In the middle Keys, at the Marathon Detention Center 305-289-2420 

• In the lower Keys, at the Key West Detention Center 305-292-7006 

Complaints may also be lodged, against any employee of the Sheriff’s Office at the following office: 

Office of Professional Standards / Internal Affairs, located on Stock Island, 305-292-7042 or toll free 1-800- 

273-COPS. 

When you call, ask to speak to a supervisor or Lieutenant. When you call Internal Affairs ask for Lieutenant 

Cindy Peryam. Any type of complaint may be directed to the Internal Affairs Unit where it will be logged and 

forwarded to the proper person for investigation. 

28 

The Internal Affairs crew: Inspectors Janine 

Gedmin, Jon Ellsworth, Lt. Cindy Peryam, 

Executive Asst. Jo DeCamp.



You may also file a complaint by E-mail to internalaffairs@keysso.net, or by conventional mail to: Monroe 

County Sheriff’s Office, 5525 College Road, Key West, Florida 33040 

Information needed for a complaint 

Have dates, times, names and descriptions available for the investigator at the time of complaint. Provide 

as much detail as possible. Also provide information about where you may be contacted during the investigation. 

What to expect during the investigation 

After making the complaint, either by phone, mail or in person, the supervisor or inspector will tell you who 

specifically will be conducting the investigation and what case number it has been assigned. The investigator 

will also explain to you how to keep in touch with them during the investigation. You may feel free to contact the 

investigator at any time to inquire about the investigation. 

When the investigation is concluded 

Complainants will receive a written notice with the findings of the investigation. A copy of the entire investigation 

may be obtained upon request with no cost to the complainant. 

Complainant Obligations 

While the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office can and will accept anonymous complaints, we will ask at times 

for sworn, recorded testimony. This is not done to discourage complaints, but rather to protect the complainant 

and ensure that the complaint is investigated to the fullest. We also request complainants do not discuss the 

complaint or any information provided by the investigating officer during the investigation stage of the complaint. 

This of course does not apply to discussions between attorneys and their clients. 

The complainant should always be aware that filing a false complaint could result in perjury charges being 

filed against them. 

Bureau Chief Mike Rice 

Finance Director Amy 

Heavilin, CPA 


The Sheriff’s Office Administration Division is responsible for all support 

services within the Sheriff’s Office, including the Finance Division, Information 

Systems, the Records and Warrants Divisions, Professional Standards, the 

Property Division, Planning and Research Division, Human Resources as well as 

all insurance and workman’s compensation claims. The Division is headed up by 

Administrative Bureau Chief Mike Rice. 

Finance 

The Sheriff’s Office Finance Division is made up of a team of 15 people who 

prepare the monthly financial statements, prepare the annual budget and insure 

the money received from grants and federal agencies are spent in accordance 

with their specific requirements. The Division is also responsible for maintaining 

records for one general operating budget and sixteen Special Revenue Funds. 

Other functions include calculating and disbursing checks to our employees 

for payroll, as well as disbursing checks to vendors for supplies and services. All 

expenditures are reviewed monthly for compliance with the appropriate budget. 

Transactions processed during this fiscal year totaled over $90.7 million in fiscal 

year ending 2006. The Division has obtained three consecutive perfect audits 

since 2003 and is working toward receiving it’s fourth. 

New faces in Finance include Michelle Quad, Finance Assistant. Michelle 

came back to the department after a two year absence. She replaced Yeny Rodriguez 

who was promoted earlier in the year to the payroll position. Laura Lummis 

joined the team as the Finance Coordinator/Payroll Manager. Mike Griffin is 

Purchasing Assistant and Alix Pierre is the Supply Officer. 

Other milestones for the Division include Lisa Knowles, Assistant Finance Director, who completed her 

Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance and Johnnie Yongue who is working toward becoming a Certified Public 

Manager (CPM) through Florida State University. 

Some items acquired via Special Revenue Funds (non-taxpayer funded) during the fiscal year include the 

29


Trauma Star Helicopter, SWAT Van, Bomb Squad Truck, four new marine patrol boats, several F-250 pickups, 

bulletproof vests, intoxilyzers, radar units, in-car computers/video equipment, dive equipment, Night Vision and 

Viking Radio Equipment. The Division was also able to replace the majority of assets destroyed by Hurricane 

Wilma with grant reimbursements during the year. 

Information Systems 

Information Systems is charged with taking care of all the computer and information 

technology needs of the Sheriff’s Office, including office computers, in car 

computers, system printers and all system related software. With a staff of eight, 

the team is kept busy maintaining and servicing computers and systems from Key 

Largo to Key West. 

Change pretty sums up the year 2006 in the Information Systems Division. 

Bonnie Randolph moved out of the Division to become the new Crime Analyst. 

She promises to continue helping us keep our users going as well as bringing 

Director Jim Painter 

a new dimension to the analyst position with her keen computer skills. She was 

replaced by Drew Moyer who spent a brief period in dispatch, but comes with 

years of experience in the information systems field. In the upper Keys, we are very fortunate to have Captain 

Ted Migala at our beck and call to assist us with the in-car computer systems updates/upgrades and vehicle 

citation printer installations. 

In our Key West office, Sandy Bartlett was promoted to the Senior Tech Administrator position and continues 

to supervise our technicians on the many projects we have before us. Replacing her in a slightly different 

capacity is Steve Heitman who paid some dues in jail records before moving across the street. Steve has had 

his head in coding a project - a work order type system where we can track and report progress on virtually 

all purchasing requests as well as having a self-help knowledge base program on our internal web site mcso. 

net. Amy Arevelo left the Division in 2006 to tend to her baby Emma. Amy did an outstanding job for us, but we 

found an excellent replacement in Joey Finch who came to us from Human Resources. The Sheriff’s practice 

of promoting from within has proven advantageous to us during the year. 

Despite the staff shuffle, we managed to accomplish many of our goals and then some. We put GPS units 

in the road patrol vehicles allowing for real time tracking of the deputies which gives us their exact locations 

on a map, available both in the cars and in dispatch. We more than doubled the speed of our wireless lap tops 

by switching over to the latest Verizon air cards. We replaced many of our old lap tops with the newer models, 

which means officers with the new equipment have begun using our electronic citation systems. Writing a ticket 

and being able to send it in electronically alleviates the time it takes for a clerk to type them into our system 

manually. 

We installed new 64 bit servers making our applications much faster. Mike Grattan rewrote the most 

popular portions of our web site: the arrests, webcad, warrants and the calls for service pages. Lee Johnston 

still manages the trouble desk, answering user questions, fixing printers, giving user support, wiring, ordering 

hardware and then setting up the hardware when it comes in. 

We contacted our cell phone provider and helped them to identify problems with their service in our county. 

Working hand in hand with their engineers we regained our high level of service helping not only the Sheriff’s 

Office, but all subscribers in Monroe County. 

Our accomplishments are far too many to mention, but we strive daily to keep our agency at the forefront 

of technology. 

Director Sharon Harrold 

Judicial Services / Central Records 

This division provides information and security for the court system and is 

charged with maintaining accurate records for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. 


In 2006, Court Services has focused on moving into the new courthouse. The 

deputies are working on generating emergency plans and creating changes in 

procedures. Sgt. Leird and Sgt. Torres worked on developing a FTO program and 

will be tested in 2007. 

Warrant Division 

The Warrant Division has worked on training the new employees. We now have 

30



Key West Court Security 

a great staff. The goal for 2006 was to scan the injunctions into the 

Fortis System to reduce paper storage. The staff worked hard to complete 

this task and it has saved us from purchasing additional storage 

cabinets. 

Jail Records 

Records Manager Jamie Denton and her staff have done an excellent 

job keeping up with inmate files. Jail Records makes sure inmate 

records are correct and complete. Jail Records is now scanning all 

Jail Records Division 

released inmate files into the Fortis System reducing paper storage. 

Central Records 

Central Records worked on scanning case files into the Fortis System. 

Records Supervisor Tiffany O’Connell has taken on a huge project in her 

department trying to become 100% paperless. The records conversion was 

completed in 2006, which was a major task. 

Professional Standards 

Lt. Bruce Winegarden 

Marathon Court Security 

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Lori Collins, 

Accreditation Manager for the Pasco County Sheriff’s 

Office. The inspection team recommended the Monroe 

County Sheriff’s Office be reaccredited. Re-accreditation 

was awarded at the Fall commission meeting in 

Coco Beach. 

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement 

Agencies, Inc., CALEA, recently updated it’s 

standards and issued Edition 5 Standards Manual. 

The Sheriff’s Office decided to convert from Edition 

4 to Edition 5 before the next on-site inspection by 

CALEA. The conversion is on-going. We were able to 

combine several standards, eliminate a few and there 

were several new ones as well primarily addressing 

technological changes within law enforcement. 

Plantation Key Court Security 

Central Records Division 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office holds 

professional accreditation from state and national 

accrediting bodies for law enforcement and 

corrections. The Division of Professional Standards 

manages the accreditation process, including making sure agency policies 

and procedures are in compliance with accreditation standards and the agency is 

following established policy. 

In 2006 preparations were completed for an inspection by the Florida Commission 

for Law Enforcement Accreditation, which took place in April. The inspection 

team consisted of 

Chief Allen Morrow of 

The Sheriff’s Office receives re-accreditation from 

CALEA in 2006. 

Preparations are being made for an on-site inspection by a CALEA assessment team sometime in late 

November or early December of 2007. 

31


Human Resources Division 

The Human Resources Division is responsible for ensuring that the Monroe 

County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is in compliance with all Federal and State laws: 

Equal Employment Opportunity, American with Disability Act of 1990, Family Medical 

Leave Act of 1993, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 

1978, and many other applicable laws. 

The Human Resources Division is also responsible for recruitment, selection, 

and background investigation of applicants wishing a career with the MCSO. In 

Executive Director Donna 2006 the Human Resources Division received and processed the following preapplications 

and applications for employment: 

Allen-Moore 

• Pre-Applications – 914 

• Full Applications (sent) – 198 

• Full Applications (received) – 112 

• New Hires – 111 

• Deputy Sheriff – 19 

• Deputy Sheriff Trainees - 10 

• Certified Detention Deputies – 13 

• Auxiliary Detention Deputies – 10 

• Non-Sworn 

Support Staff – 23 

Communications Officers – 9 

Communications Officers-Part-time – 2 

Records Assistant – 15 

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (H.I.D.T.A.) – 5 

The Human Resources Division maintains the agency’s personnel and medical files. The MCSO employs 

a total of 612 employees which include: 

• Deputy Sheriff – 204 

• Detention Deputy – 154 

• Support Staff – 182 

• High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (H.I.D.T.A.) – 72 

The Human Resources Division is responsible for coordinating the agency’s promotional process, managing 

the agency’s random drug testing, annual physicals, Florida Department Law Enforcement (FDLE) registrations 

and resignations, personnel and payroll changes, and administering the following optional/supplemental 

benefits programs to all members: 

• Sick Leave Pool 

• Weight Loss Program 

• Compensatory time off bank 

• Retirement, resignations and leave of absences 

• Supplemental insurances (life, disability and cancer) 

• Anti-smoking incentive program 

• Deferred Compensation programs 

• Financial Hardship program 

• Hurricane Exemption program 

• Domestic Partner Resolution 

The Human Resources Division assists the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in the following: 

• Helping the agency achieve its goals and objectives. 

• Communicating Human Resources policies to all employees. 

• Provide employees with a formal process for grievance resolution. 

• Promote and support recruiting strategies and collaborate with Commanders, Directors and Supervisors 

to create a high performing diverse workforce. 

• Develop staff excellence through training and consultation for employees that encourage growth and 

opportunity and foster good, open communication and an overall positive work environment for all employees. 

The Human Resources Division assumes a pro-active role in the community and participates in various 

32



community programs that enhance children educational and occupational awareness; School to Work Program, 

Take Stock In Children and the Mentoring Program. The Human Resources Division is committed to 

working with the diverse population in Monroe County by identifying and responding to its changing needs. 

Planning and Research Division 

Planning and Research Division duties were redistributed in 2006 when Director 

Patricia Almeda retired in June. The Crime Analysis position, responsible for 

much of the data collection as well as for identifying trends in criminal activities 

was reassigned to the Intelligence Division under Lt. Nancy Alvarez. A new Grants 

Administrator and Risk Management position was created under the Bureau of 

Administration. This person also handles quarterly, annual and multi-year planning 

and reporting as well as assuring goals and objectives are set and met by agency 

Director Patricia Almeda personnel. The person responsible for auditing offense reports and for UCR reporting 

- required by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation - was assigned to the Central Records Division. These 

changes resulted in considerable savings for the agency, while still assuring the essential duties of the office are 

being accomplished. 

Property and Evidence Division 

This year was very busy for us in Property and Evidence. We had to terminate 

one employee and we were lucky to fill the position 3 months later. Candace 

Busald transferred from the Planning and Research Division. Kelby Thomas is the 

Property and Evidence Clerk. He runs the Key West office. Candi is the Property & 

Evidence Assistant. She receives all the property and evidence that arrives in the 

Key West Office. 

We have two more offices in the Marathon and Plantation Key substations. 

Director Diana O’Dell These two offices are run by Property and Evidence Assistant Angie Glover. She is 

in Marathon on Tuesday and Thursday and in Plantation Key on Monday, Wednesday 

and Friday. We do weekly trips up and down the Keys transporting any and all 

property and evidence that needs to come to Key West. 

This year we were very busy working on an inventory of the vaults. We inventory a year at a time. The 

first thing we do is search for a disposition. If we locate a disposition we dispose of the case. If the case is still 

pending we relocate it. In each year we inventoried, we condensed the boxes and reorganized them because 

we don’t have any additional shelving in any of the vaults. It seems like our major task in this division is always 

making room. Even though were able to destroy quite a number of items, we have just as much coming in the 

door. We fill up the shelves as soon as we empty them. 

We are still holding a few years worth of cases up the Keys. In Marathon we have 2005 and 2006 property 

and evidence. As dispositions on the cases arrive we bring them to Key West for disposal. In Plantation Key 

we have 2004, 2005 and 2006 property and evidence but we are starting to bring 2004 to Key West to make 

room for 2007 cases. 

We set a record this year for destructions, increasing to 3600 items for the year. 

Road Patrol 


The Sheriff’s Office is committed to providing a safe environment for the citizens of Monroe County. We 

are also committed to community-oriented policing and to ensuring that the quality of life and the livability factor 

are at the highest levels possible. Through community-oriented policing, we actively promote community safety, 

protect life and property, regulate safe and efficient motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic and assist in 

environmental and marine law enforcement. 

Deputies act in close collaboration with groups representing the needs of the residential and business com- 

33


munities of the city and county. We actively participate in Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs in our efforts 

to enlist citizen cooperation in anti-crime efforts and increase police visibility. Deputies regularly meet with each 

neighborhood group and partner with local citizens for the enhancement of common public safety and quality of 

life issues. 

The Sheriff’s philosophy is clear. To work with the community in partnership to address public needs and 

address the important issues of the citizens of Monroe County. Community Oriented Policing (COP) is an organizational 

philosophy with a decentralized approach aimed at reducing crime and improving the quality of life within 

a community. The entire community is responsible for public safety - not just the police. Community policing 

recognizes a shared responsibility and connection between the police and the community. 

Many of our deputies work a flexible schedule in order to meet the needs of the community based upon 

meetings (neighborhood association, crime watch, etc.), events and problem-solving initiatives. These flexible 

schedules also facilitate more effective problem solving. Deputies may work in uniform and drive marked police 

patrol cars, patrol on a police mountain bike, or if the situation calls for it, operate a wave runner, a four-wheel 

drive ATV on the beach, work in plain clothes or whatever is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. The flexibility 

of their work schedule, coupled with creative and innovative problem-solving efforts, allows them to resolve 

problems beyond traditional police responses. 

Many of our deputies are active members of community organizations and their governing boards such 

as Rotary, ZONTA, United Way, Salvation Army, Masons, Shriners, Domestic Abuse Advisory Board and other 

organizations that focus on community, children and the elderly. Not only do they participate in these organizations 

but also many have taken leadership positions in them to better develop that problem solving partnership 

so necessary in affecting positive change. 

As in all other law enforcement agencies around the country, in 2006 we continued to operate under a 

heightened state of awareness. Security of our many important facilities such as utilities, bridges, government offices, 

hospitals, schools and other high profile locations were constantly checked and documented for security. 

Captain Chad Scibilia 

Sector One - Lower Keys 

Sector One is located between mile marker 47 south to and including the city 

of Key West. This sector is commanded by Captain Chad Scibilia, with Lt. Mitch 

Snider as Station Commander. The sector is staffed with two support staff, six 

sergeants, two Civil deputies, two Marine Enforcement deputies, one Community 

Policing Deputy, and 23 patrol officers, for a total of 38 employees. 

The Marine Enforcement officers are a new addition to the Sector adding a new 

dimension to our abilities to serve the citizens of our area. The Unit is equipped 

with a 19 foot Coastal Bay vessel purchased from forfeiture funds and it will be 

operating in the shallower waters of the lower Keys. The second vessel is a 29 foot 

Donzi purchased with federal money through a grant provided by Homeland Security. 

Neither boat was funded by any taxpayer dollars. The Marine deputies’ primary directive will be enforcement 

of safe boating practices and public education. 

The men and women assigned to Sector One continue to provide the finest law enforcement services to 

be found anywhere. These law enforcement professionals who 

patrol the lower Florida Keys take a heartfelt sense of personal 

ownership in what happens in the community we all share. Our 

deputies do not stop at simply responding to calls for service and 

criminal activity. They look for issues concerning all of us and, 

using a partnership and teamwork approach, find ways to resolve 

them before they escalate to a bigger problem. This approach to 

policing is reinforced with a zone concept. Sector One is divided 

into two zones, north and south. Each zone is assigned a sergeant 

as the Zone Commander. The Zone Commander takes on 

the responsibility to completely oversee any and all crime or quality 

of life issue in that zone. They work towards bringing together 

law enforcement and all other public and private resources to 

resolve the community concern or issue. 

The south Zone Commander, who covers from the city of Key 

34 

Sgt. Sommers and his wife, Gwendolyn.



West to the 21 mile marker, was Sergeant 

Vaughn Sommers. He retired this year after 

20 years of service and his dedication 

and knowledge will be greatly missed. We 

wish him and his wife Gwendolyn the best 

of luck and a happy retirement. 

Sergeant Sommers was replaced 

by Sgt. Davy who is now the south Zone 

Commander. Sgt. Davy has been with 

this agency for six years and comes to 

us with a extensive experience with the 

United States Coast Guard. 

Sector One Road Patrol 

Sergeant Ronald Roberts is a 26 

year veteran with Monroe County and is 

assigned as the north Zone Commander, covering the 21 mile marker to the 47 mile marker. 

In addition to their Zone Commander duties, these sergeants work a regular patrol shift and handle the 

day-to-day supervision of a patrol squad. This Zone Commander concept is the essence of community based 

policing: looking beyond just criminal acts that have already occurred, and focusing on order maintenance 

issues and concerns of the community or problems that may not be specifically of a criminal nature but are 

shared by everyone. With a Zone Commander in place, there is an individual who works towards bringing 

resources together so the problem can be resolved, making our community a truly nice and safe place to be. 

Sector Four and Five - Middle Keys 

Our Motto is: doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason, always! 

Sectors Four [Marathon] and Five are staffed with 29 sworn Deputies. We 

have responsibility for the City of Marathon’s contract for law enforcement services 

as well as County regional support services from the southern limits of the Village 

of Islamorada (mile marker 72) to the Seven-Mile bridge (mile marker 47) including 

the City of Layton, Long Key State Park, Conch Key, Duck Key, Pigeon Key, and 

Boot Key Harbor. We also support the City of Key Colony Beach Police Department 

with regional support services 

Captain Bob Peryam 

and emergency back-up law enforcement 

assistance. 

This year was a good year in respect to hurricanes. Unlike 

the previous two years, where we had suffered from a number 

of direct hits from storms, this year we were spared. This break 

allowed our community to recover and to have life return back 

to normal. 

We continue to be committed to providing a safe environment 

for our citizens to live and work in. We are also committed 

to community-oriented policing, to ensure the quality of life, 

and the livability factor, stay at their highest possible levels. 

Here are just some of the projects our deputies have been 

involved in this past year: 

• Sombrero Beach 4th of July Fireworks celebration New 26 foot Donzi. 

• Offshore Fisherman’s Foundation (OFF) Seafood Festival 

• Seven Mile Bridge Run 

• Habitat for Humanity’s Annual Christmas Gala 

• Pigeon Key Art Festival 

• Two day Mini lobster season 

• Three day Big Band concert’s held in the city park 

• Halloween celebration held behind the airport 

• Toys for Tots Motorcycle Rally 

35


• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Parade 

• Over 500 hours of bicycle patrol in the community 

• Over 300 vessels stopped during the two day mini lobster 

season 

• 1000 hours of water patrol conducted by our Marine Unit 

• 480 hours of security for the Super Boat Races held in Marathon 

• 80 hours of security for Fourth of July 

• Marathon Night out 

• Marathon High School homecoming parade 

• D.U.I. check point held during two day Mini Lobster season 

• D.U.I. check point during Christmas holidays 

Sector 4/5 held a National Night Out 

• Attendance at all Crime Watch meetings in Sectors Four and 

event in August inviting the public to 

Five 

come out, get to know the Sheriff’s Office 

and learn about crime prevention. 

• Car Seat Clinic 

• Duck Key Security Meetings 

• Paws for a Cause 

• Halloween Patrol Detail 

• Safety Day at Home Depot 

Our deputies also participate in the community through the many Civic Groups they are members of, 

including: 

• Rotary 

• Masons 

• Nights of Columbus 

• Salvation Army 

• Veterans of Foreign Wars 

• Zonta 

• Shriner’s Club 

• Leadership Monroe 

Our Marine Unit has been very busy working to remove over 300 derelict vessels from our near shore 

waters. This year the City received a new 26 foot Donzi. The vessel was purchased with the use of Forfeiture 

Funds and will help us provide even better police services here in our Sectors. 

Our station is located in the heart of the Florida Keys, in the city of Marathon. This makes it easy for our 

residents to stop in for any assistance they might need. This past year our staff assisted over 3,242 citizens 

who came to our office, fingerprinted 114 citizen for professional licensing or employment and issued 344 hurricane 

re-entry stickers. 

We look forward to serving our community in the up coming year. We are eager to continue our philosophy 

of Community policing and forming partnerships with our citizens to prevent crime and to improve the 

quality of life in our community. 

Sector Six - Islamorada 

The Islamorada Sector runs from 

the 72 mile marker to the 90.2 mile 

marker in the city of Islamorada.This 

was the sixth year the Monroe County 

Sheriff’s Office has provided contract 

municipal police services to the Village 

of Islamorada. This has been a very 

successful partnership and the contract 

Captain Joe Leiter 

was renewed in October for another 

three years. A total of 18 deputies were 

assigned to the Islamorada Sector in 2006; 16 contract deputies 

and two regional deputies, including two full time Marine Deputies. 

The amount of the contract was $1.4 million. 

36 

Islamorada Marine Deputies at work.



Activity: 

• Total Calls for Service: 16,654 

• Arrests: 480 

• Citations Issued 1,462 

• DUI Arrests 49 

• Other traffic arrests 105 

Personnel Changes: 

• Deputy Todd Pitts left MCSO for Seminole County 

Florida Sheriff’s Office. 

• Deputy Bill Grove transferred to Special Investigations. 

• Deputy Ann Latham left the agency and moved to north 

Florida. 

• Deputies Kenneth Brand and Yunier Galvez joined Islamorada’s National Night out event attracted 

many members of the public to Founder’s 

Islamorada after graduating from the Law Enforcement 

Park where they got to know their deputies, 

Academy. 

played games and ate great food. 

• Deputy Sheila Seago transferred to Islamorada from 

Marathon. 

Events: 

• Perhaps the last Bartender’s/Hospitality Expo was held at Holiday Isle in May. The annual event draws 

thousands to the waters and sandbar off Holiday Isle and resulted in the largest water-bourne law enforcement 

operation in Monroe County. 

• Lobster Mini Season was held in July with the Marine Unit stopping 87 vessels for violations or safety 

checks during the event. 

• Islamorada Marine Deputy Nelson Sanchez and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

held a Small Boat Handling course in Marathon for law enforcement officers. 

• Sergeant Dennis Coleman and Deputy Sheila Seago organized a Toys for Tots bowl-a-thon in November, 

at the Fishbowl in Islamorada, assisted by Lt. Tom Brazil. 

• A Sheriff’s escort, for the annual Santa Ride sponsored by Islamorada Fire Rescue, was provided by 

Captain Joe Leiter. 

• Two very successful DUI Checkpoint operations were conducted by Sgt Kiffney’s squad on Plantation 

Key. 

Sector Seven - Upper Keys 

The fabulous Florida Keys and Monroe County start in Sector Seven. Jurisdiction 

for us begins at the Dade County/Monroe County line, at the 112 mile marker, 

and ends at the Tavernier Creek Bridge, mile marker 90.2. Sector Seven also 

includes Ocean Reef and parts of Card Sound Road and State Road 905. 

The upper Keys headquarters 

is the Roth Building at the 

88.7 mile marker of the highway. 

Captain Don Hiller It is a brand new, state of the 

art facility purchased through 

federal forfeited drug proceeds 

that opened in March of 2005. It was named after Sheriff 

Richard D. Roth who was responsible for its purchase and 

renovation. 

The Sector Seven Upper Keys Commander is Captain 

Don Hiller and the Station Commander is Lieutenant Donnie 

Fanelli. Lt Mitch Horn oversees patrol responsibilities for 

Ocean Reef. Together, they command 33 dedicated patrol 

deputies and office personnel who make Sector Seven a 

special place to work and live. It is because of their commitment 

and dedication we have been so successful. 

Sector Seven embraces the community based policing 

concept. Besides responding to normal calls for service, these 

37 

Lt. Donald Fanelli gives Roger Allen a certificate 

thanking him for his assistance acquiring two 

new patrol bikes for Sector 7 neighborhood 

patrols.


deputies are constantly looking for ways to deter crime and prevent 

citizens from becoming victims. Programs and ideas have been 

implemented that have been an immediate difference in the quality of 

life in the upper Keys. 

Deputies work with 27 Citizen Crime Watch groups and two 

Advisory Boards. Through this constant interaction with the community, 

we are able to stay apprized of their needs as well as give 

them input and suggestions. One of the programs begun through this 

interactive process is a Trespass Prevention Program implemented 

first in Sector Seven. Because of its success in the upper Keys, the 

program is now county wide . 

National Night Out was an event in August used to bring over 

300 citizens together with deputies to promote a unified front against 

crime in the upper Keys. The night was a great success with a 

barbecue, events for the kids, and even a live band. Toys for Tots is 

a program to assist needy families during the holiday season. This 

Christmas, over 120 kids received new toys and bikes through this 

program, assisted by volunteers from the Sheriff’s Office. These are the type of dedicated people we have on 

our staff. They are why these programs work. 

Sector Seven also has a successful Marine Unit. Two full time deputies have been issued top of the line 

boats and equipment to help patrol the consistently increasing marine activities in the upper Keys. They assist 

current Sheriff’s Office Marine assets in other sectors as well as state and federal agencies. Patrol areas are 

from the County line to the 72 mile marker. 

On behalf of the men and women of Sector Seven, we look forward to serving the citizens and taking on 

the challenges that await us in the upcoming year. 

Special Investigations Division 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Division is made up 

of investigators specializing in criminal investigations requiring special skills and 

training to perform. These detectives operate county-wide and many of their investigations 

are long-term and sensitive in nature. Captain Ross Thomson oversees 

the Division, which is led by Lieutenant Corey Bryan. 

The Units under his command are: 

• Criminal Investigations Units in the upper, middle and lower Keys 

Captain Ross Thomson • Narcotics Unit 

• Homicide Unit 

• Crimes Against Women and Children 

• Victim Advocates 

• Dive Team 

• Bomb Team 

• Hostage Negotiators 

• Special Weapons and Tactics Team 

• Traffic Enforcement 

• Reserve Officers 

Criminal Investigative Units 

When a road patrol deputy takes a criminal incident report needing further investigation, or if a case needs 

a trained investigator to pursue difficult or complex issues, detectives with the Criminal Investigations Unit are 

generally the ones who are assigned. The investigators in this unit are experienced law enforcement officers 

who have worked a number of years on road patrol, and many of them have been specially trained in criminal 

investigations. They work directly with Sector Commanders and road patrol officers, but they are under the 

direction and control of the Special Investigation Division Commander. One investigator is on call at all times 

and does respond to a crime scene, if necessary, at any hours of the day or night. 

The most common crimes assigned to this unit include crimes against persons, such as aggravated 

battery and robbery; crimes against property, including burglary and theft cases; and financial and computer 

38 

In Key Largo’s National Night out, kids 

got to learn about the Sheriff’s dive team, 

got their faces painted and learned about 

safety.



crimes, including credit card fraud, forgery, embezzlement, and internet fraud cases. Investigators also conduct 

warrant sweeps, perform surveillance on known violators, and work special details in areas experiencing a 

particular crime problem. 

Sector One (lower Keys): The Sector One Criminal Investigations Unit is located at the Sheriff’s Office 

Headquarters on Stock Island, and at the Cudjoe Key Substation. The Unit is led by Detective Sgt. Bobby Randolph 

who oversees Detectives Donnie Catala, Henry Hamilton, Jeremy Davy, Paul Shultz, Diane Mimosa, and 

Crime Scene Detective Gary McCullogh. The Administrative Assistant is Peggy Carey. This unit is responsible 

for investigations from Seven Mile Bridge south to Stock Island. 

Sector Four and Five (middle Keys): The Sector Four and Five Criminal Investigations Unit is located 

in the Marathon Substation. The Unit consists of Detectives Rick Martin, Ron Sylvester, Amanda Coleman, 

Crime Scene Detective Rosa Digiovanni, Administrative Assistant Deborah Simpson, and Detective Sgt. James 

Norman. The detectives are a diverse and enthusiastic team of investigators that work extremely well together. 

The Unit is very proud they have developed a close working relationship with the Sector Four and Five Deputies, 

Supervisors, and Sector Commanders. This Unit is responsible for investigations from the north end of the 

Seven Mile Bridge to the 72 mile marker of Highway U.S. One. 

Sector Six and Seven (upper Keys): The Sector Six and Seven Criminal Investigations Unit is stationed 

at the Roth Building on Plantation Key. The Unit is led by Detective Sgt. Gene Thompson. The Detectives 

in this unit are: Mike Wilkinson, Greg Larochelle, Don Dalton, Ken Baker, Michael DiGiovanni, Crime Scene 

Detective Jason Madnick, and Administrative Assistant Haydee Martinez. The Unit investigates all felonies and 

serious misdemeanors and works pro actively to reduce crime in the area. The area consists of incorporated 

and unincorporated territory from the 72 mile marker to the Dade County line including The Ocean Reef Club. 

Vice and Narcotics 

The Vice/Narcotics Unit is a specialized investigative 

group consisting of six detectives and a detective sergeant. 

The detectives are paired up in the lower, middle, 

and upper Keys to provide coverage throughout the Keys. 

The types of crimes Vice/Narcotic Unit investigates 

are primarily drug related crimes. The Unit investigates all 

Crime Stoppers Tips and any other drug related tips. The 

Unit conducts other investigations on crimes such as, but 

not limited to, gun violations, prostitution, illegal gambling, 

and any other specialized crime that needs investigation. 

The Unit assists other members of the agency with 

specialized equipment, surveillance requests, or any 

additional manpower request. The Unit works closely with 

other law enforcement agencies within the County such as, 

but not limited to, the Key West Police Department, The 

Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Drug Enforcement 

Administration, and Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco. 

Crimes Against Women and Children: 

Crimes Against Women and Children consists of three detectives located throughout the County. They 

handle all child abuse, sex crimes, missing juvenile cases, child pornography, and child victims of prostitution. 

They also maintain records and do regular checks on registered sex offenders in the County and, during 

2006, conducted several Child ID projects around the County, taking children’s fingerprints and photographs. 

One detective is on call weekends and after hours. Investigators have worked a number of cases with the Law 

Enforcement Against Child Harm (LEACH) task force and with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 

In 2006, the Unit investigated 204 cases making 21 arrests including the arrest of a man for Sexual Battery 

on two sisters. This case led to the discovery of other victims in other jurisdictions. The case officer, Detective 

Linda Mixon, received the Officer of the Quarter Award for her work on the case. The Unit is led by Detective 

Sgt. Trish Dally and the Detectives are: Linda Mixon, Natalie Mashburn, and Manny Cuervo. The Administrative 

Assistant is Desjuen Hill. 

Homicide 

Homicide is made up of two detectives who handle all homicides, missing adults, and suspicious death 

cases in the County. They are also charged with reviewing and investigating all cold cases involving a homicide 

39 

The Sheriff’s Office Vice / Narcotics Unit during a 

search warrant served on Stock Island.


or unidentified death. One investigator is on call 

at all times. 

In 2006, the Unit handled 132 cases including 

one child death resulting in the arrest of the 

child’s mother. They also routinely assist other 

jurisdictions when a homicide in another location 

calls for some type of follow up in the Keys. 

This unit is led by Detective Sgt. Trish Dally. The 

two detectives in this unit are Mark Coleman 

and Terry Smith. 

Victim Advocates 

There are five Victim Advocates in Monroe 

County who work for the Sheriff’s Office. There 

is one stationed at each Sheriff’s sub-station 

(Plantation Key, Islamorada, Marathon, Cudjoe 

Key) and one assigned to the Key West Police 

Department. Victim Advocates assist crime victims 

- particularly victims of violent crimes - and 

Members of the Homicide Unit, Crimes Against Women and 

Children and Victim Advocates. 

two are on call in the County at all times. The Advocates are funded by a grant from the Office of the Attorney 

General and for the past year they assisted 914 people. The Victim Advocates are supervised by Detective 

Sgt. Trish Dally. The Victim Advocates in the Keys are: Sally Ann Crawford, Debbie Shepherd, Carol Albury- 

Johnson, Josh Peters, and Elaine Woodson. 

Homeland Security / Intelligence Unit 

The Homeland Security Division coordinates with the applicable Regional Domestic Task Force for the 

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. This division assists in the coordination of the applicable Regional Strategic 

Plan as outlined in the State of Florida Domestic Task Force. 

Lt. Nancy Alvarez works as a liaison with various local, state and federal agencies on areas of Homeland 

Security specific to the Regional Domestic Security Task Force. Her work involves ensuring Florida residents 

and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office employees receive clear and accurate messages regarding the mission, 

activities and accomplishments of the agency. This unit is a liaison with various local, state and federal agencies 

on areas of domestic security and natural disasters. 

The Unit maintains a working relationship with elected officials, municipal, state and federal governmental 

agencies and business officials and other provider entities to assure the on-going development, improvement, 

and readiness of the various preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery plans for situations in Monroe 

County that deal with the Regional Domestic Security Task Force. The Unit participates, conducts and/or 

attends various intra and interdepartmental meetings, including agency administrative meetings and meetings 

involving the general public and maintains current knowledge of trends and developments in the field of public 

safety and homeland security. 

The Intelligence Unit is responsible for gathering, analyzing, and disseminating information concerning 

known or suspected criminal activity including Organized Crime, Gang Members, Terrorists, Extremists, any 

Dignitary related activity, Homeland Security, Convicted Felons, and Narcotic trends. 

Intelligence information about narcotics, memos of information received (MOIR), Crime Stoppers Tips, and 

general intelligence is all maintained in one database. The collection of intelligence information is gathered 

from informants, prisoner debriefing, and roll call briefings. It is important every member share intelligence, as 

the more information gathered and entered, the more valuable it is to all members who have access. 

The Intelligence Unit maintains membership in state and regional intelligence groups to include the Florida 

Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU), and the Regional Organized Crime 

Information Center (ROCIC). 

The Intelligence Unit works closely with the Crime Analysis Unit to provide timely officer safety information, 

criminal trends, and MO’s for patrol as well as other agencies located in Monroe County. Intelligence 

Bulletins are produced and provided to members of the Sheriff’s Office, including Intelligence flyers and officer 

safety information. emails are distributed to members with intelligence pertinent to their sectors. 

Dive Team 

The Dive Team leader is Detective Mark Coleman. The following members serve on a part time basis: 

40



Detective Henry Hamilton, Sergeant Daryl Hull, Sgt. Jim Wirth, Deputy Win Higgins, Deputy John Whortenbury, 

Deputy Ray Jodlowski, Reserve Lieutenant Bob Smith and Reserve Lieutenant Bob Jason, Reserve Deputy 

Bob Guhl, and Reserve Deputy C.J. Behrens. New members include Detective Terry Smith, and Deputies 

Nelson Sanchez, and Dan Chu. 

The goal of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Recovery Team is to rapidly 

respond to any water-related operations and to safely affect any type of waterborne recovery or rescue operations. 

The dive team’s primary responsibility is underwater search and recovery of persons and/or evidence. 

The team consists of Deputy Sheriffs who are specially trained and equipped to conduct such operations. 

The Sheriff’s Office Dive Team responds to calls in Monroe County including the areas surrounding the 

City of Key West, City of Marathon, Key Colony Beach, The Village of Islamorada, and Ocean Reef. The Dive 

Team is available and has been called upon to assist agencies in other areas of the state as well. 

The Dive Team assists the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, United States Coast Guard, U.S. 

Customs, Key West Police, and Key Colony Beach Police. 

The members of the Dive Team are volunteers that work in 

addition to their regularly assigned duties. 

The standards for the Dive Team are high and require 

extensive training. The Dive Team conducts underwater 

crime scene investigations, evidence recovery, body recoveries, 

and recoveries of vehicles from the water, hull 

searches of vessels, underwater photography, and videography. 

The Dive Team trains in various areas of Monroe 

County including channels, bridges, canals, and offshore 

shipwrecks; however, the team’s primary training location 

is the Florida Keys Community College Aquatic Training 

Facility and the Roth Marine Public Safety Annex building 

where skills in the fields of underwater search and recovery 

and investigations are continuously updated. 

The Dive Team has become more involved in port security 

operations that include advanced techniques in searching 

for and identifying destructive or parasitic devices below the 

waterline around ship hulls, docks, piers, and bridges. The Dive Team often trains with specialized equipment 

consisting of full-face masks, underwater communication systems, tethers, side-scan sonar, remote operations 

cameras, and magnetometers. 

Highlights of 2006 : 

• Jan. 4: Recovered stolen property off Stock Island shrimp docks. 

• Jan. 20: Investigated sunken sailboats off Key West. 

• Jan. 30: Investigated suspicious object at bottom of canal in Key Largo. 

• Mar. 3: Nitrox/deep dive/air management training at Spiegel Grove site. 

• Apr. 6: Recovered stolen car from Tom’s Harbor Channel. 

• May 8: Assisted National Transportation Safety Board by inspecting and photographing crashed aircraft 

in canal in Marathon. 

• June 22: Recovered drowning victim from rock quarry near Key West. 

• July 10: Stress course training in Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) lagoon. 

• July 27: Searched for missing diver off Big Pine Key. 

• Aug. 21: Recovered gun from Boca Chica Channel. 

• Oct. 11: Inspected and photographed crashed helicopter off Ocean Reef. 

• Nov. 13: Diver rescue training in ocean off Islamorada, and navigation practice at Channel Two. 

• Dec. 8 & 15: Worked with US Army Corps of Engineers divers in training scenarios at FKCC lagoon. 

• Dec. 18: Assisted Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) with search of area 

around capsized boat in Whale Harbor Channel. 

Hostage Negotiation Team 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team is a unit of specially trained persons who are 

tasked to respond to crisis incidents. These incidents include but are not limited to: suicide attempts, hostage 

situations, sniper attacks and barricaded armed subjects, with or without hostages or other victims. 

41 

A Member of the Sheriff’s Office dive team in training 

on the wreck Spiegal Grove off of Key Largo.


The difference in a hostage and non-hostage incident is subtle but important. A hostage is held for some 

substantive gain by the taker. A non-hostage incident involves a person who is being held and their status is 

that of a victim as may occur in a domestic dispute, burglary, or robbery. 

A member of the Unit must receive special training in crisis intervention, negotiation techniques, recognition 

of patterns and clusters of behaviors and advanced active communication skills. These skills are used with 

the goal of a safer more controlled resolution to a volatile incident which poses high risk to the members of the 

Sheriff’s Office, persons in crisis and general public at large. 

The Unit responds with a minimum of two trained negotiators and at least one other member assigned 

for additional documentation. Members of the Unit actively maintain their skills and knowledge with additional 

training with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which offers guidance as needed and with the Florida Association 

of Hostage Negotiators. 

Monroe County is in Region Six of the State of Florida, as outlined by the Florida Association of Hostage 

Negotiators (FAHN). FAHN Members train quarterly with SWAT and the Bomb Disposal Unit in scenario situations 

and spend an occasional training day at the range. 

The response begins with the gathering of information to build a database on the subjects involved and the 

current situation. Intelligence is critical to access all the possible factors and driving forces having an impact on 

the individual and/or the group dynamics. The situation must be contained with an outer and inner perimeter. 

Communications and access to the hostage taker and hostages must be limited and carefully controlled. Slowing 

down and controlling the situation allows the team to have influence and thus lead the subject to a peaceful 

resolution: the ultimate goal of hostage negotiation. 

Intelligence is gathered by various methods and is shared with SWAT to improve the overall response and 

resolution. The final phase of a negotiators task is to be the liaison between the subject and SWAT so there are 

no surprises for anyone as he or she surrenders and is taken into custody. 

The Monroe County Crisis Negotiation Unit currently has five negotiators in the Keys including one bilingual 

member (Spanish) and one female member: Team Leader Detective Don Dalton, Deputy Luis Blasco, 

Deputy Lee Cowart, Lt. Tom Brazil, Sgt. Bobby Randolph, Reserve Officer David Stark, and Reserve Officer 

Anngee Quinones. They are available day or night, at any time. Most of these members have over twenty 

years experience as Law Enforcement Officers and offer that experience for the safety of the community and 

fellow members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. 

Bomb Squad 

The Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad is the only fully equipped 

explosives handling team in the Florida Keys. The Squad is made up 

of two certified bomb technicians, Detective Sgt. Bobby Randolph and 

Deputy Butch Albury, and Detective Jason Madnick, who is not yet 

certified as a bomb technician. Bomb Squad members respond to any 

calls involving found explosives, bomb threats, or suspicious packages. 

All members of the Squad also hold other working positions in 

the Sheriff’s Office and do not receive additional compensation for 

their presence on the Squad. 

New Bomb Squad truck, acquired in 2006 with Homeland 

Security funds. 

The Bomb Squad also handles the destruction of explosive 

devices, old 

outdated ammunition, 

flares, and other dangerous items. Citizens 

who have such items to dispose of should contact 

Sgt. Bobby Randolph at 305-292-7060 to discuss safe 

handling and disposal. 

The Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad has state of the 

art equipment to handle dangerous situations and has, 

in the past, been called upon to dismantle home made 

explosive devices, destroy old dynamite, clear buildings 

of dangerous explosives, and search buildings, 

boats, and other locations for possible explosives. This 

year the Bomb Squad has sent new Bomb Tech Jason 

Madnick to the F. B. I. Bomb School for six weeks, and 

42 

The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad at a training 

session.



assisted in seven hazardous waste burns saving approximately 

$ 50,000.00 in cost to the taxpayers. 

Special Weapons and Tactics: 

The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team is 

primarily used to serve high-risk search warrants where 

occupants are suspected of being armed and/or dangerous. 

They also respond, when required, to other situations 

such as barricaded subjects, wanted suspects who 

might be armed and dangerous, and any other time they 

are needed. 

The team is comprised of Deputy Sheriff’s and Detectives 

who have agreed to serve the citizens of Monroe 

County in this high risk, high liability position at no extra 

cost to taxpayers. They do not receive any compensation 

over and above their normal salaries to perform the duties 

of a SWAT team member. 

SWAT team members have all completed at least one 

two week SWAT course, and they train together on a regular 

basis to maintain those skills and to ensure they can all work smoothly together. They are periodically required 

to participate in a timed military obstacle course to remain on the team, and must frequently qualify with a 

variety of weapons. To date, no Sheriff’s Office SWAT team member has been seriously injured or killed during 

the performance of their duties. 

The Sheriff’s SWAT team is a county wide unit answering to the Sheriff’s Special Operations Division. 

They frequently work with many other agencies, local, state, and federal. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2006 : 

The Special Weapons and Tactics Team responded to 21 calls for service for the year 2006. The 21 

incidents included the execution of search and arrest warrants, 

buy bust operations, reverse sting operations, high profile 

prisoner escorts including courthouse security and barricaded 

subjects. 

In January, the team was involved in three search warrants 

executions. Two were in the lower Keys, and one was 

in the middle Keys. The warrants yielded numerous felony 

arrests and drug seizures. 

In February, March, and September the team participated 

in reverse drug operations in the lower Keys, specifically in the 

area known as “La Cuerva”. The reversal operations yielded 

numerous felony arrests along with drug and vehicle seizures 

In March, the team participated in a buy bust operation at 

Gilberts Marina at mile marker 107. The team was deployed 

The Special Weapons and Tactics team acquired 

a new truck in 2006 purchased using Homeland 

Security funds. 

and staged in a covert area awaiting the signal to initiate a 

take down of the suspect and his vehicle. The suspect vehicle 

arrived and a take down was initiated on the vehicle. Two 

suspects were taken into custody without incident. 

In March, the entire SWAT. team participated in a mock 

airplane hijacking at NAS Boca Chica airfield. The training exercise involved the FBI SWAT team from Miami, 

the Miami-Dade Special Response Team, NAS CRT. Team and the FBI. Hostage Rescue Team from Quantico, 

Va. The exercise was geared to having a multi jurisdictional response to a critical incident. The exercise lasted 

for approximately 17 hours. 

In May and August, the team responded to barricaded subject calls. On both occasions the suspects surrendered 

without incident. 

In October, the team responded to an armed, mentally ill and hearing impaired person threatening to kill 

herself at Bernstein Park on Stock Island. After about an hour of negotiations, she surrendered without incident. 

43 

The Special Weapons and Tactics Team participates 

in hostage training.


Also in October, several team members participated in a buy bust operations on Stock Island at the Burger 

King parking lot. The suspect arrived and delivered a large amount of narcotics to an undercover officer. The 

suspect was taken into custody. 

In January, March, April, June, August, September and October the team participated in high profile prisoner 

escorts of a suspect who had allegedly planned to escape while being transported to court. The team 

handled the escorts from the Detention Facility to the Courthouse. Once the suspect was in the Courthouse, 

the team provided security in and around the Courthouse. 

In December, the team responded to a barricaded subject in Marathon at Herbie’s Restaurant. The 

suspect was wanted on Domestic Battery charges and had barricaded himself in the restaurant. The suspect 

was armed with two handguns. After several hours of negotiations, the suspect attempted to break out of the 

perimeter the SWAT team had established. The suspect was apprehended as he tried to exit from a wooded 

area. The suspect was confronted by several SWAT members and was given orders to drop his weapons. The 

suspect complied and was taken into custody without incident. 

Traffic Enforcement Unit 

2006 was a been a busy and successful year for the Unit. 

To start with, during our approximately 260 working days, 90 of those days were devoted to other projects 

that detoured us from our Traffic duties. We’re not complaining since this is part of our job function, only that 

when your wondering where a 

Traffic deputy is, that’s more 

than likely the answer. 

It’s been a great year for 

the Unit and the County with 

another lower than average year 

in traffic fatalities throughout the 

Keys. I believe the heavy traffic 

enforcement activity from the 

Unit and many in the SO specifically 

targeting traffic violators 

has helped reduce this figure - it 

makes a difference. 

The Traffic Unit has been 

awarded several thousand dollars 

in equipment from the State 

The Traffic Enforcement Unit 

in 2006. We have participated in many campaigns from “Click it and Ticket” to DUI enforcement” with several 

others in between. Hand-Held radars, night vision goggles and soon tint meters are a few of the items awarded 

and all we have to do is our job - priceless... 

The “motor heads” have all received their new BMW 1200 PT-P motor units. They all have had a few 

months of riding these bikes and they are a pleasure to ride. No more blisters on the thighs from motor heat, 

they stay dry in the rain (they have a retractable windshield). They are 200 pounds lighter, so there is less 

physical exertion during the day and so on. Just the ABS brakes alone have already saved a couple of officers 

from the inevitable (bike riders know what that means). 

For a good part of the year, Deputy Adam Rabinowitz was tied-up with administrative duties relating to 

DUIs, Agency Inspections, depositions, court etc. Fulfilling these requirements now takes-up about 80% of one 

traffic deputy’s time. As of December 2006 Dep. Luis Blasco was assigned to the position of Agency Inspector, 

taking over the duties from Adam. Blasco has an extensive medical background and has been recently certified 

as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). 

You may have seen the Traffic Unit at the Marathon Hanger for training in December. They all successfully 

completed the painstaking, mind boggling, mentally exhausting (many bottles of aspirin killed and calculators 

smoldering) Traffic Homicide Investigator class. Excellent job by all with a 92% average for the class. 

Kudos to Traffic secretary Joni Green for maintaining all her normal duties and the ever relentless DUI 

tapes that keep growing and growing. Her job has increased tremendously with the pro-active detective cases 

and DUI enforcement. 

Speaking of DUI enforcement, what a fantastic job Dep. Edgar Piniero (Jr) has done this year. After 

finally being able to dedicate a year (not counting all that time away from his duties as mentioned in the first 

44



paragraph) he arrested over 100 DUIs in 2006. Looking at records, this is the first time a Traffic member has 

accomplished this feat. He will be going to Tallahassee in 2007 for the “100 Club” awards along with acknowledgment 

for his dedication in this field. 

With Traffic deputies writing 300 to 400 citations a month, the advancement of the in-car printer has helped 

tremendously from getting writers cramp. 

Some have also been moved into the 21st century with the new in-car DVD cameras. 

Congratulations to Dep. Nick Pham who received a Sheriff’s Ribbon for his quick response on July 4th 

when he and Dep. Sean Heffron saved the life of Dep. Steve Kalogeras who collapsed and suffered a heart 

attack. 

Reserve Unit 

The Reserve Unit is very active and participates in a wide range of law enforcement 

related activities. Reserves are a completely volunteer workforce. 

Reserves must be able to pass the same application process established for 

regular Deputies. They also cannot work in occupations or professions that are 

likely to have conflicts of interest. 

The mission of the Reserve Program is to support the operations of the Monroe 

County Sheriff’s Office. Sworn 

Res. Captain Ted Migala 

Reserve Deputies work road 

patrol both supplementing and 

covering shortages; they contribute 

to the operation of the Aviation 

Division; assist and serve on the SWAT Team; work in the 

Traffic Unit, Court Security, the Records Division, schools, the 

Aviation Division, the Victim Advocates Unit and CIU/Special 

Ops. In all of these instances, they provide support for the 

tasks performed by the paid members of the Sheriff’s Office. 

Reserves have undertaken the task of contacting businesses 

and gathering the information needed to update the 

Business Emergency Contact Information database and 

updating gate codes. Reserves support almost all the special 

functions that take place throughout the year. 

Total hours volunteered by Reserves in 2006 = 16,254 

In 2006, Reserves worked the following hours: 

Reserve Members exceeding 1000 hours of volunteered 

time: 

• Chaplin Judith Remley 2400 hours 

• John Marlowe 2450 hours 

• Reserve Capt. Ted Migala 1835 hours 

• Reserve Lt. David Bickford 1213 hours 

Reserve members exceeding 500 hours of volunteer time 

• Juan Llera 682 hours 

• Robert Jason 590 hours 

• Mary Jo Migala 720 hours 

• Bobby Daniel 754 hours 

Director Jack Robillard 

The Reserves are committed to being available when and where we are 

needed as a functional part of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. 

Aviation Unit 

The past year was a transitional one for the Aviation Unit. The old helicopter 

was taken out of service due its deteriorating condition and a group of community 

leaders formed a feasibility study to upgrade the helicopter and the entire program. 

On the recommendation of this committee, and with approval of the Monroe 

County Commission, the Unit was outfitted with a new, upgraded medical helicopter. 

It’s pilots have undergone much training to operate it as has the mechanical 

45 

Reserve Deputy Dave Bickford inspects a car 

seat to make sure it is installed properly.


staff and medical flight crew. 

The new aircraft is a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter with a medical package configuration. The County Commission 

purchased the aircraft from a Pennsylvania hospital group. To help offset the expenses of the operation, 

the Sheriff’s Office applied for an FAA Part 135 Operational Certificate which will allow for the collection of 

fees for services provided. This license requires compliance with extensive regulations and more frequent and 

intensive inspections. Rules also outline specific training required for all pilots, mechanics and medical flight 

crew. 

The new operation is a successful merger of three primary groups – the Monroe County Commission and 

County Administrator, Monroe County Fire / Rescue and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The leadership, 

vision, direction and commitment of the leaders of these organizations has made it possible for the citizens and 

guests of Monroe County to benefit from this service. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office considers it an honor 

to operate and maintain the helicopter and to work with the outstanding men and 

women from Fire / Rescue and the hospitals of Monroe County. 

Community Relations Division 

The goal of the Community Relations Division is to prevent crime and enhance 

safety in the Florida Keys, which is accomplished through the Division’s various 

programs and through education of the public. 

The Community Relations Division is comprised of: 

• The Public Information Officer, who keeps the public informed about criminal 

Director Greg Artman activity, safety measures and events happening at the Sheriff’s Office. 

• School Resource Officers, who are assigned to area schools to not only enforce 

the law but to teach students to avoid criminal behavior and drug abuse. 

• The Crime Watch Coordinator, who organizes and guides neighborhood crime watch groups to be the 

“eyes and ears” of law enforcement and instructs them on how to avoid being victims of crime. 

• The Crime Stoppers program, which helps law enforcement by offering rewards for information about 

crime. An anonymous hot line forwards tips to local law enforcement. 

• The Juvenile Programs Division, which focuses on youthful offenders to prevent them from becoming 

adult offenders through education and hands on guidance. The School Crossing Guards program, which 

helps keep children safe when they arrive and leave their schools, either on foot or in vehicles. 

Teen Court 

The Sheriff’s Teen Court program successfully closed 135 cases in 2006, which is almost a ninety percent 

rate of success for teens entering this nationally acclaimed diversion program. Teen Court is designed to divert 

less serious offenders away from juvenile court so that these first or second time offenders don’t get a criminal 

record, yet still face consequences for their actions. Just one 

criminal offense on the record could hinder a youth from college 

admission, military service, or a career path. 

Youth are referred to the program in several ways, including 

the issuance of juvenile citations by law enforcement officers or 

referrals from the State Attorney’s Office or from the Department 

of Juvenile Justice. If the youthful offender is eligible for the 

program, he or she must admit guilt and accept responsibility 

in order to be accepted. Teen Court only decides on the consequences 

of the offense, which could include community service, 

serving as a juror on other student’s cases, essays, jail tours, 

apologies to their victims and /or their parents, counseling, drug 

screening, and, restitution. Teen Court is based on the premise 

that youthful offenders will more readily accept responsibility for 

their actions when judged by their peers. The youthful offenders 

who successfully complete all of the sanctions handed down by 

their peers usually have thirty to ninety days to complete them. If the youth successfully completed the program, 

charges are dropped. If the youth fails to complete the sanctions, the case is referred back to the court 

system for prosecution. 

Many teens volunteer to work with the program. Teen Court allows volunteer youth the opportunity to 

46 

The Sheriff’s Juvenile Programs Division 

handles IDDS and Teen Court.



receive training and act as defense and prosecuting attorneys, bailiffs, clerks and judges. During 2006, 56 student 

volunteers donated 451 hours of service to the Teen Court program. Teen court recognized Julie Russell, 

Eveling Darce, Amanda Meehan, Uriel Galvez, Jace Thompson and Angelica Valdez as outstanding volunteers 

in Key West and Mileidys Aguila, Andrew Van Sickle, Jack, Amos, Bonnie Casey and Anelis Cherubini as 

outstanding volunteers in Plantation Key. 

The Sheriff’s Office took over the Teen Court program in 2001 and it is operated Keys wide with teen 

courts meeting in Plantation Key, Marathon and Key West. Teen Court case managers, Tamara Stanley and 

Karol Cotton, supervise all aspects of the program. Teen Court also relies on local attorneys who volunteer 

their time to serve as Judges and other adult volunteers who serve the program in various capacities. 

For more information, contact Teen Court at 292-7031 or the Sheriff’s Community Relations Division at 

292-7116. 

IDDS 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services (IDDS) had a valued member of 

our team leave the Keys to northern pastures. Nancy Cardinal left and for a good part of 2005 the program was 

short staffed. It created great stress, but the whole team pulled together. Amy Beeler is about to complete her 

last term, with a perfect grade point, from Nova Southeastern University, her Masters Degree in Mental Health 

Counseling. 

The IDDS program in this year has served 100 Monroe County Youth and these youth have been accountable 

for performing 1,257 hours of Community Service paying back the community for their transgressions. 

Similarly they made whole those victims against whom they 

have transgressed monetarily to the tune of $7,783.40. We 

have hopes of bringing a fully trained and highly credentialed 

person into the fold shortly to help with our case load. 

School Resource Officers 

The SRO unit experienced a transitional year in 2006. 

Veteran SRO deputies Tammy Jenson, Sonja Morgan and 

Tom Peteck transferred to other units while Deputy Will 

Schlegelmilch resigned and went to work for Miami Dade 

County. Deputy Vicente Lopez returned from retirement and 

took the SRO post at Stanley Switlik School in Marathon. 

The SRO unit was able to meet four out of six goals for 

the year 2006, impressive numbers considering the staffing 

level of the Unit. Efforts to prepare schools and law enforcement 

response to emergency situations within the schools 

have been implemented. Five training sessions for Rapid Action 

Tactics were conducted within local schools during 2006. 

Numerous members of the SWAT team, SRO unit and Sector 

entities have attended the training. Coordination with the school district is underway to provide for a uniform 

response county wide should an emergency situation arise. 

In addition to emergency response preparation, the SRO unit implemented a feedback program whereby 

the schools and school administrators can provide feedback to Community Relations. The feedback from the 

schools has been overwhelmingly positive and there have been numerous suggestions taken under consideration. 

SRO’s continued to perform law enforcement functions within the schools as activity levels were up 187 

percent compared to the previous year. 

During 2006, the SRO’s taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program to hundreds of 

fifth graders throughout the County. DARE is aimed at helping children resist peer pressure to experiment with 

drugs, tobacco and alcohol. 

The SRO’s also continued to lead the three Explorer/Cadet posts in the County during 2006. Explorers 

attended several statewide conferences, competitions and boot camps. At boot camps Explorers learn teamwork, 

confidence and self esteem building skills. At competitions, the Explorers participated in law enforcement 

related areas such as felony traffic stops and building searches. Explorers also went on a trip to Universal 

Studios were Senior Explorers were put in charge of the Junior Explorers and Cadets (with adult supervision) 

and were given a budget for their meals and other needs. All three posts participated in charity drives to help 

the local community, as well as conducting fund raisers to help support the Explorer/Cadet program. 

47 

Sheriff’s Cadets learn rappelling techniques 

from Sheriff’s SWAT Leader Donnie Catala.


Citizen’s Crime Watch 

Citizen’s Crime Watch is a nationally recognized crime prevention program that brings neighbors and 

law enforcement together in an effort to prevent crime. The neighborhood crime watch acts as the volunteer 

“eyes and ears” of the Sheriff’s Office. The Crime Watch Coordinator is charged with helping set up new crime 

watches, coordinating meetings and communicating crime trends and other helpful information to the existing 

crime watches, and with conducting free home and business security surveys. The program, comprised of over 

80 crime watch neighborhoods county wide has proven to be successful in Monroe County. 

In 2006, the Crime Watch Coordinator: 

• Conducted 83 Crime Watch meetings 

• Reactivated four dormant neighborhood Crime Watches. 

• Participated in 32 crime prevention related events, both adult and juvenile. 

• Organized four new Crime Watches. 

• Conducted 12 residential and business security surveys. 

During 2006, the Crime Watch Chairperson of the year was awarded to Glenn Passage of Royal Palms 

Trailer Park on Big Pine Key. This award is given annually to a Crime Watch Chairperson based on dedication 

and leadership ability. Many Chairpersons publish their own neighborhood Crime WSatch newsletters and are 

continually in touch with the MCSO Crime Watch Coordinator. 

Citizen Response Cards 

The Community Relations Division conducts an ongoing survey of Keys citizens to help determine how 

well deputies are performing when they respond to calls for service from citizens. 

On a weekly basis, postcards are sent out to people who have found it necessary to call for assistance 

from the Sheriff’s Office. Those postcards have a series of questions designed to elicit the customer’s opinion 

of how they were treated by the Sheriff’s Office employee they came in contact with. Questions include how 

dispatchers handled the call; if the deputy was professional and able to handle the problem and if the citizen 

was satisfied overall with the services of the Sheriff’s Office. In 

2006,1,493 postcards were sent to residents and businesses 

where deputies were dispatched, 509 citizens responded and the 

vast majority expressed overall satisfaction with the services of 

the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. 

School Crossing Guards 

The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for all the School Crossing 

Guards working at schools in Monroe County, including the city 

of Key West. The crossing guards in the City are supervised by 

Deputy Vincent Catala while the crossing guards in the unincorporated 

areas are supervised by School Resource Sgt. Glenn 

Test. 

All crossing guards receive state mandated training from 

Deputy Catala who is a certified School Crossing Guard Instructor. 

Training consists of classroom lectures, practical training in the 

field and testing. The guards are also evaluated annually. Deputy 

Catala also ensures that the School Zones in the city of Key West 

are properly marked and that all lights and signs are working correctly. 

Overall, there are 16 crossing guard positions in Key West and three in the unincorporated areas. 

Public Information / Web Site Manager 

The Office of Public Information is charged with handling media requests, issuing press releases, creating 

and distributing internal newsletters and other internal communications, and with creating, maintaining and 

updating the Sheriff’s Office web site at www.keysso.net. 

These tasks are not mutually exclusive - indeed they are integral. The web site contains a large amount 

of static information which serves to let the public know how the Sheriff’s Office works, and how to contact the 

various Divisions and Sectors within the Sheriff’s Office. It also contains information that is constantly in flux, 

such as information about special events, current arrest data, job openings, current budgets, offenses and calls 

for service, and much more. 

The web site also serves as the place where employees can go for employee related forms, general 

orders and to view the internal news and announcements on the Employee Section of the web site. 

48 

A Sheriff’s Office School Crossing Guard 

helps kids cross busy Flagler Avenue in Key 

West.



The Sheriff’s Office internal newsletter - the Rap Sheet - is put out quarterly and addresses larger issues 

and events that take place during that quarter. A weekly e-mail based news bulletin is sent out every Friday 

with quick announcements, classified ads and other communications. This is also posted on the web site in 

pdf format. Through these newsletters, employees are kept up to date about policy changes, new employee 

programs, general order updates, changes in benefits and other law enforcement related news and events. 

Virtually all information communicated to the media, the public, and to Sheriff’s Office employees is distributed 

either from the web site, or by e-mail. The benefit of using the internet and e-mail as informational tools is 

the information can be easily and quickly distributed to a large number of people, and can be easily and quickly 

changed to reflect the immediate needs of the Sheriff’s Office, and the needs of the public. 

It is the duty of the Web Site Manager (who is also the Public Information Officer) to work with members of 

the agency to help them communicate via the web. Digital cameras issued to many road patrol deputies and 

detectives have also added an immediacy in the photo gallery portion of the site, and has allowed the Sheriff’s 

Office to offer the media and the public a more intimate glimpse into the actions of our officers. Deputies and 

detectives are encouraged to take photos at crime and accident scenes and send them to the Public Information 

Officer, so they can be shared with the media through e-mail, and with the public by quick posting on the 

web site. 

In short, the electronic age continues to advance, and the office of Public Information advances with it, 

incorporating new technologies and new equipment to keep everyone up to date as events unfold with the 

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. 

Communications Division 

The Communications Division is located in Marathon, where all of the 911 calls 

for the County are answered, excluding the city of Key West. The Division dispatches 

Sheriff’s Deputies, Emergency Medical Services and Fire personnel. 

Dispatchers routinely enter approximately 340 calls for service in the Computer 

Aided Dispatch (CAD) system 

in a 24 hour period. Most calls 

for service entered in CAD 

Director Anne Leonard represent a law enforcement, 

emergency services unit, or 

fire unit sent to a location in the 

County in answer a request for help from a citizen. The 

Division has 22 staff members, including one Director, four 

Shift Supervisors and 17 Communications Officers. There is 

a supervisor on duty 24 hours per day 365 days a year. 

You should only call 911 in an emergency. Otherwise 

call one of our three non-emergency phone numbers. You 

should NOT call dispatch with questions about the weather, 

or about traffic conditions. For that information, please listen 

to local radio and television stations. 

Non- Emergency 

In non-emergency situations, a squad car may be dispatched 

as soon as an officer is free or you may be asked 

to wait until the officer who is familiar with your neighborhood 

or the particular matter is available. The County is 

divided into sectors and zones there are officers assigned 

to each area and handle calls in those assigned sectors 

and zones. Callers should be directed to call the appropriate The many faces of Sheriff’s Office Communications 

station for service in their area. 

• (305)296-2424 Headquarters 

• (305)745-3184 Cudjoe 

• (305)289-2430 Marathon 

• (305)853-7021 Islamorada 

• (305)853-3211 Plantation Key / Key Largo 

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911 Emergency 

Emergency assistance is available to you every day of the year, 24 hours a day. Dial 911 if you 

need the immediate assistance of a police officer, firefighter or paramedic. If you are dialing from a pay 

phone, you do not need to deposit coins. To help the dispatcher send appropriate help, try to remain 

calm so you can describe the problem. (If you are unable to speak and calling from a conventional phone 

- not a cell phone - your address is displayed in the 911 center so dispatchers will be able to send help.) 

Call 911 if you witness or find yourself in an emergency situation such as: 

• Accident 

• Injury or medical emergency 

• Fire 

• Strong gas smell inside a building 

• Intruder 

• Suspicious person or activity 

• Crime in progress 

• Violent / potentially violent individual or group 

If you aren't sure whether the situation constitutes an emergency, don't hesitate to call 911. The 911 dispatcher 

will determine what assistance is appropriate. 

To cancel a 911 call - Call 911 

If you - or your child - dial 911 by mistake, don’t hang up. Instead, stay on the line and tell the dispatcher you 

made a mistake. Even if you hang up quickly, your phone number and address are displayed on the Emergency 

Communications Center’s computer screen. If you don’t cancel the call, a squad car may be dispatched to your 

address. 

Training Division 

Lieutenant Roger Allen 

A welcome to our newest member of the Training Division, Deputy John 

Whortenbury. John replaces Sergeant Lopez who decided it was time for new and 

better things. John comes to us with graduate degrees and extensive background in 

the field of emergency medical operations 

The Training Division of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office works closely with 

the Florida Keys Community College to provide instructors for ongoing academies. 

Corrections Academies are 

offered continuously throughout 

the year. Two Basic Law 

Enforcement Academies are 

also held during the year and at least one Cross-Over 

Corrections to Law Enforcement Academy is presented. 

Instructors from the Sheriff’s Office are also provided to 

the College for advanced courses such as Line Supervision, 

Field Training Officer, Intoxilyzer Operator, Radar 

Operator, Middle Management, and Instructor Techniques 

Workshops. 

In-service courses are presented to personnel each 

month in order to maintain deputies’ certification requirements 

set by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement 

and other regulatory bodies. These courses include such 

diverse offerings as Combat Pistol Courses, Weapons 

Retention, Firearms Training Simulator, Blood Borne 

Pathogens, Hazardous Materials, Defensive Tactics Refresher, 

Pepper Spray, Use of Force, Legal Updates, Impact 

Training Sgt. John Whortenberry explains new 

techniques for Cardio Pulmonary Resusitation 

(CPR) at an Annual Retraining class. 

Weapon, In-custody Death Syndrome, Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Courses, Verbal Judo (Tactical Communications), 

First Responder to Medical Emergencies, Domestic Violence, Juvenile and Sex Crimes, Suicide 

Prevention, and Drug and Alcohol Recognition. 

Support courses are also provided to all personnel in the Sheriff’s Office and include Cardio Pulmonary 

50



Resuscitation (CPR), Women’s Self Defense, and Computer Courses. The Training Division is also a Community 

Training Center for the American Heart Association and provides training in CPR frequently to community 

service groups. The records portion of the Division maintains all of the individual training records of the deputies 

as well as salary incentive and tuition information to provide required documentation for the Florida Department 

of Law Enforcement in their annual audits. 

The Firearms Training Simulator continues to be a center of attraction drawing inquiries from many areas 

of the United States. Some modifications and changes have been made to make it even more efficient and 

useful in the area of Firearms Training. This equipment now provides even better discretionary firearms training 

and conducted with live fire simulation. Monroe County Deputies continue to receive the most realistic firearms 

training available. 

Director Jerome Fain 

Airport Security Division 

The Airport Security Division provides security at the Key West International 

Airport and is in the planning stages for providing the same services at the Marathon 

Airport when commercial 

air service begins 

there in 2007. 

The Unit has 27 

Officers and Deputies to 

cover 252 hours of air 

carrier operations per 

week. In 2006, the Unit 

responded to an average of 48 alarm calls every 24 

hours, totaling 1500 security alarm investigations per 

month and 18,000 alarm investigations per year. The 

Unit made over 30 weapons arrests and conducted over 

14 traffic crash investigations. 

Members of Airport Security at the Key West International 

Airport. 

They conducted electronic fingerprinting for over 300 people holding security related jobs at the airport. 

The Unit monitors and controls the access of over 700 people working and using the airport. 

For commercial operations in 2006, the airport processed 563,947 persons and handled 12,727 landings. 

When you factor in family and friends, rental car operations and other visitors to the airport the total number of 

people the Airport Security Unit must be concerned with each year is approximately 1.5 million individuals on 

and off airport property. 

South Florida High Intensity Drug 

Trafficking Area 

Lt. Colonel Tim Wagner 

Captain Joe Mendez 

Major Joel Widell 

Director Bill Martin, 

National HIDTA 

Assistance Center 

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is a major 

participant in the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking 

Area Program (SFLHIDTA), which comprises operations 

and intelligence efforts in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, 

and Palm Beach Counties. 

The mission of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 

(HIDTA) Program is to disrupt the market for illegal drugs in 

the United States by assisting federal, state, and local law 

enforcement entities participating in the HIDTA program to 

dismantle and disrupt drug trafficking organizations, with 

particular emphasis on drug trafficking regions that have 

harmful effects on other parts of the United States. 

There were five areas designated as HIDTAs in 1990 - 

South Florida (including Monroe County), New York, Houston, 

Los Angeles, and the Southwest Border. The program has 

51


since expanded into 28 HIDTAs around the country. 

MCSO received one of the first HIDTA grants in 1991, using those funds to create the Monroe Task Force, 

which investigates narcotics related money laundering organizations on an international scale. That unit is still 

in existence, having seized over $65 millions dollars in illicit narcotics-derived financial proceeds. That unit 

brought in over $25 million in asset sharing to the MCSO in just one case. 

In 1994, the MCSO elected to further assist in the HIDTA effort by serving as a fiscal agent (fiduciary) in 

the South Florida HIDTA and the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands HIDTA. The MCSO handles over $20 million in 

grant funds for those two projects, and for the National HIDTA Assistance Center, also located in Miami. 

South Florida HIDTA facilitates cooperation between the 291 state and local agencies and the 12 federal 

agencies that provide 372 full time collocated personnel that make up the HIDTA Task Forces, Intelligence 

Center and initiatives. Participating agencies provide personnel, equipment, expertise and jurisdiction to HIDTA 

initiatives. They agree to cooperate and share intelligence. They agree to de-conflict investigative subjects and 

events through the HIDTA Intelligence Center, and to develop and execute a coordinated, joint counter-drug 

strategy in concert with the rest of the state and local and federal law enforcement community that comprises 

South Florida HIDTA. They are willing to agree to these requirements because they recognize each agency is 

far more effective when combined with the resources brought to the table by the other participating agencies 

and HIDTA. They trust HIDTA to perform as an honest broker in this process. 

There are three main HIDTA facilities: one in Plantation (Broward County), the Miami Task Force, and the 

HIDTA Intelligence Center in Miramar, Florida. 

The SFLHIDTA added two new Task Forces in 2006, one which focuses on marijuana grow houses, the 

other on violent gang activities with narcotics ties. 

The positive impact these initiatives have made on the safety of South Florida and beyond is extraordinary. 

• SFLHIDTA was responsible for a total of 2,783 prosecutions in 2006. 

• Twenty-two OCDETF investigations were initiated by HIDTA Task Forces in 2006. 

• Two hundred and five investigations targeting international organizations, and 56 targeting multi-state 

organizations were initiated in 2006 and 68 local investigations. 

• HIDTA Task Forces seized 41,033 kilos of cocaine, 193 kilos of heroin, 20,700 kilos of commercial 

grade marijuana and 5,220 hydroponics marijuana plants. They also seized 178,789 dosage units of MDMA 

and 7,433 of Oxycontin (oxycodone HCl). 

• Our law enforcement initiatives returned $58.43 for each HIDTA dollar invested in CY 2005. This has 

resulted in $540,211,001 in drugs and assets being removed from the marketplace in 2005. 

• The Cali Cartel was totally dismantled in late 2006 after 16 years of support to numerous investigations 

being supported by the South Florida HIDTA. The following is an excerpt from a press release from the U.S. 

Attorney’s Office: 

DEA, September 26, 2006: ...”The hard work and perseverance of the federal prosecutors and agents 

of Operation Cornerstone has led to the unparalleled conviction of more than 100 defendants, the forfeiture 

of over $2 billion and the seizure of nearly 50,000 kilos of cocaine being smuggled into the United States. 

Today, their work, and the work of their colleagues at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, resulted in the guilty 

pleas of the Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers. Infamous as the leaders of the Cali Drug Cartel, the 30-year prison 

sentence of the Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers ends the Cali chapter of the war on drugs,” said U.S. Attorney R. 

Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida. 

“The Rodriguez-Orejuela brothers masterminded a narcotics-trafficking business that generated an illicit 

billion-dollar fortune – a business they propagated throughout the Americas by repeatedly reorganizing their 

corporations to conceal their interest,” stated Michael J. Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New 

York. “This case is a testament to our strong partnership with Colombian law enforcement. The powerhouse 

once known as the Cali Cartel has been effectively bankrupted, and the vast amounts of illegal money derived 

from their drug trade can now be recouped. We’re committed to identifying and exposing the money laundering 

networks of the world’s largest narcotics-trafficking organizations and bringing them to justice in the United 

States.” 

The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Department 

of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistance in the investigation was 

provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, 

the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Colombian Police and the Colombian Fiscalia (the 

Office of the Prosecutor General). 

52



Another major SFLHIDTA case brought to resolution was the “Battle” case, in which MCSO personnel 

were active participants. 

Below is an excerpt from the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release: 

July 26, 2006 

MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION CONVICTED OF RACKETEERING; 

$1.4 BILLION FORFEITURE VERDICT AFTER SIX MONTH TRIAL 

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian J. Wimpling, 

Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Miami Field Office, announced 

that, following a six month trial, a Miami jury convicted defendants Manuel Marquez, Jose Miguel 

Battle, Jr., and Julio Acuna, members of one of the largest organized crime syndicates called “The Corporation,” 

on various racketeering charges. At sentencing, defendant Acuna faces a statutory maximum penalty of 

life imprisonment; defendants Marquez and Battle, Jr., each face a statutory maximum penalty of twenty years’ 

(20) imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 29, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District 

Court Judge Alan S. Gold. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, these defendants were involved in a racketeering conspiracy 

that began in 1964 and continued through 2004. The evidence established that the Corporation conducted 

extensive illegal gambling operations, which it conducted through the use of violence and intimidation, including 

the commission of multiple murders. Indeed, the jury specifically found the defendants guilty of, among 

other things, eight murders and seven arsons resulting in deaths. These murders included the death of a 3 

year-old child who was killed in a fire, the death of a former “Corporation” hit man who was gunned down in 

the 1970’s after turning against the “Corporation,” and a “Corporation” rival who was killed in a hospital by an 

assassin disguised as a nurse. These murders were authorized and committed by members of the Corporation 

in furtherance of their racketeering conspiracy. 

In addition to the guilty verdict against the defendants, the jury also returned a forfeiture verdict of $1.4 

billion. The United States has already seized in excess of $20 million in currency and other assets. 

Mr. Acosta commended the Internal Revenue Service, the Office of the District Attorney for Kings County, 

New York, the Broward and Monroe County Sheriffs Offices, the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security 

Service, and the Miami Dade Police Department, for their work in this Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement 

Task Force (OCDETF) case. The trial, which lasted over six months, was handled by Assistant United States 

Attorneys Tony Gonzalez and David Haimes of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Alicia Shick 

of the Narcotics Section, Alison Lehr of the Asset Forfeiture Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys 

Patricia McNeill and Dennis Ring, of the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s Office. 


The Bureau of Corrections is comprised of three jail facilities: Key West Detention 

Center which houses approximately 561 inmates daily; Marathon Detention 

Center houses approximately 45 inmates daily, and the Plantation Key Detention 

Center houses approximately 41 inmates daily. 

In 2006 the Bureau of Corrections received it third consecutive State of Florida 

Corrections Accreditation Certificate from Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission, 

Inc. This achievement is not an easy process. It takes total commitment 

Major Tommy Taylor 

from the agency, teamwork, dedication, and attention to detail to accomplish the 

highest level of jail operations. 

The overall mission of Corrections Services is to provide for care, custody, control, and treatment of incarcerated 

inmates through enforcement of policy and procedures as well as through management of programs 

designed to insure the safety of staff, public, and inmates and to reintegrate offenders into society. In addition, 

we provide an environment which enables positive behavior change by providing educational and rehabilitative 

opportunities within the facilities for inmates who demonstrate a desire to change and the motivation to participate 

in such programs. 

Our focus in the Corrections Bureau is to provide inmate programs to reduce the inmate population and 

reduce recidivism through programs such as: substance abuse treatment, literacy education and faith-based 

53


Operations Captain 

Rick Remley 

Transportation Director 

Tony Campana 

Administrative Captain 

Penny Phelps 

Programs Director 

Keena Allen 

programs just to mention a few. Studies have shown 

programs such as these do reduce recidivism in jails and 

prisons. We are committed to making a positive difference 

in inmate lives and to return them to the community as 

productive citizens. 

The Corrections Bureau provides processing and detention 

services for all law enforcement agencies in Monroe 

County. In 2006, 9,229 arrestees were booked through the 

three jail facilities. The average daily inmate population for 

all three facilities was 647 and the average cost per day to 

house an inmate was $65.54. 

Processing an inmate involves Intake booking, Medical 

Screening, Fingerprinting, Photographing and Classification 

of the individual. Technology plays a key role 

particularly through video-imaging photos and electronic 

identification or inkless fingerprinting. 

Our automated fingerprinting identification system was 

upgraded this year and allows the Booking Officer to take 

writer prints and palm prints. The system is much faster 

and accurate. It offers real time positive identification on all 

arrestees. It is not a free ride for the arrestees; all arrestees 

are assessed an initial $10 booking fee. This year the fee 

generated over $41,745.27 for the County’s General Fund. 

Arrestees who can’t pay the $10 fee at the time of booking, will carry the outstanding debt until it is paid. 

In a continued effort to save the taxpayers money, the Sheriff’s Office leases unused inmate beds to 

Federal Agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Border Patrol at a 

cost of $82.00 per day per inmate. In 2006, inmate contract beds netted approximately $1,642.706. The money 

received from these contracted beds goes into the Monroe County General Fund to off set operating the three 

Detention Facilities. 

Direct Supervision is a style of management used by our Corrections Deputies who work directly with inmates 

in their living areas - units and dorms housing from 54 to 72 inmates. Each unit and dorm is supervised 

by one Corrections Deputy. 

The absence of barriers such as bars, steel doors and cat walks typically found in a traditional jail allows 

our deputies to have more visibility of the inmates and better control of the areas in the jail including passage 

ways and secure rooms. With the implementation of Direct Supervision, inmates activities and behavior are 

under the direct control of our Corrections Deputies. 

Transportation 

Four thousand thirty four inmates were transported 

to and from court in 2006 and 4,548 were 

transported to and from the Marathon Jail and 

Plantation Key Jail. Total movement of inmates 

for the calendar year was 10,429. 

Inmate Programs and Services 

Daily needs of inmates are handled by the 

inmates Programs and Services Division. Mail, 

laundry, accounting, commissary, religious and 

educational programs are among the program 

services provided. 

• Jail Drug Intervention Program: 

In 2006 91 male inmates entered the 

JIP program and only 5 returned to jail 

in the same year. Twenty-eight female 

inmates entered the JIP program only 2 

returned to jail in 2006. Over 70% of the 

Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division was re-accredited in 

2006. 

54



inmates housed in the Monroe County 

Detention Facility have charges related 

to substance abuse. In addition to the 

drug treatment these inmates need 

help with anger management, domestic 

abuse, parenting skills, job and housing 

placement, education and literacy, 

mental health counseling, pharmacological 

assessment, and aftercare. The JIP 

program is proving that providing these 

services works. Inmates who enter into 

Plantation Key Detention Center Command Staff 

the program have a lower recidivism rate 

than inmates who are not enrolled in the 

program. 

• Trusty Work Program 

Jail Programs saved taxpayers money by assigning trusty work details to County Public Works 

Departments and various municipalities throughout Monroe County. The inmate trusty work programs 

saved taxpayers over $452,706.24 in labor costs by performing work that would otherwise be 

contracted out to private business or would be performed by county employees. 

• Classification 

The Classification Unit determines the custody and housing assignment for all inmates. It also 

processes court information and custody release documentation. One of the biggest improvements 

in Classification this year is the ability to do all court minutes and release dates with the capabilities 

of the SmartCop system . The old Q&A System has been retired and the SmartCop system has the 

advantage of showing past incarceration dates on the opening screen. This is a big factor in computing 

the total credit for time served without having to go to several different screens. 

Classification has been proactive in evaluating the increased inmate population especially the female 

population. The inmates are moved when needed to ensure units and dorms are not overcrowded so 

we can continue to meet all Florida Model Jail Standards. 

Inmate workers are screened based on needs, medical restriction, security level and their abilities 

are taken under consideration for work assignments. 

Automation and special attention is also required to identify high-profile inmates in need of special housing 

and our Smart Cop Jail Management System allows us the ability to take action. With the Smart Cop System, 

sexual predators and others are identified and required to submit DNA samples and the jail forwards these 

samples to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be enter into a master data based for future reference. 

• Inmate Medical Care 

• 

• 

Inmate Medical Care is provided by a contract with Prison Health Services under the supervision of 

a Health Administrator. Medical, dental, and psychiatric services are provided as well. Inmates are 

charged a fee for services to offset cost to the taxpayer however, no inmate is denied medical attention 

due to the inability to pay. 

Food Services 

Food Services is under contract with Trinity Food Services Group and provides three meals a day to 

inmates in the three jail facilities totaling 789,715 meals served in 2006. 

Animal Farm 

The Sheriff’s Children Animal Farm continues to be a big hit with community children and families, 

various local schools, The Boys and Girls Club, D.A.R.E. Program, the YMCA and local church 

groups who visit the farm on a daily basis. Farmer Elaine resigned in August; Lt. Clark, volunteered 

to take over until September when our newly hired farmer, Jeanne Selander, came aboard. Farmer 

Selander is doing an outstanding job. She hit the ground running. She has been a guest on WGMX 

94.3 Morning Mix Radio Show, and has been featured in a number of publications, sharing information 

and letting the public know what type of various animals we have on the farm and what special 

activities we have scheduled for children. 

55

Important Numbers: 

In an Emergency, Dial 911 

To report a non-emergency incident call Sheriff’s Office Communications: 

(305)296-2424 

(305)289-2430 

(305)853-3211 

To Contact the Sheriff’s Office: 

Sheriff’s Administrative Headquarters...........................................................................................(305) 296-2424, 292-7000 

Central Records Division .............................................................................................................(305) 292-7050 

Community Relations Division .....................................................................................................(305) 292-7116 

Human Resources Division...........................................................................................................(305) 292-7044 

Crime Stoppers of the Florida Keys. ............................................................................................1-800-346-TIPS (8477) 

Patrol Divisions: 

Freeman Substation, Cudjoe Key ................................................................................................(305) 745-3184 

Marathon Substation ....................................................................................................................(305) 289-2430 

Islamorada Substation..................................................................................................................(305) 853-7021 

The Roth Building, Plantation Key ...............................................................................................(305) 853-3211 

Special Operations........................................................................................................................(305)289-2410 

Detention Centers 

Main Detention Facility, Stock Island............................................................................................(305) 293-7300 

Marathon Detention Center...........................................................................................................(305) 289-2420 

Plantation Key Detention Center...................................................................................................(305) 853-3266 

ww.keysso.net

Annual Report, Year 2006 - Monroe County Sheriff's Office

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