19-282 Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Participates In The Florida Sheriff’s Task Force: “Operation Hallowed Streets”

Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
-Patrol Operations Bureau
-DUI Unit
-Traffic Enforcement Unit
-Community Policing Unit
-Special Events Unit
-Field Training Unit
-Sexual Predator and Offender Tracking Unit

Florida Sheriff’s Association
- Florida Sheriff’s Task Force

What:
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office participated in “Operation Hallowed Streets,” a Florida Sheriff’s Task Force operation that targeted sexual offenders/predators to ensure they are compliant with their obligations and the Florida State Statutes.

When:
“Operation Hallowed Streets” was conducted over a three-day period from October 29, 2019 through October 31, 2019.

Where:
The operation was conducted county-wide.

Why/How: 
Today, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) Task Force released the results of Operation Hallowed Streets, a strategic initiative in 18 Florida counties that focused on children safety during Halloween activities throughout Florida. The operation targeted sexual offenders/predators to ensure they are compliant with their obligations and the Florida State Statutes. This involved a three-day operation that included physical checks on every sexual offender/predator to ensure they are properly registered and in compliance.

“The safety of our children is always top of mind for law enforcement throughout the state of Florida,” said FSA President and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. “Ensuring that all sexual offenders and predators are compliant with applicable state law, county ordinance, and provisions of probation gives everyone an additional layer of comfort so families can enjoy Halloween festivities.” 

The following are the totals from Pinellas County:
Compliance checks conducted: 1,567
Compliance checks in compliance: 1,555 (12 outstanding – detectives are following up)
Hours dedicated to this operation: 774 hours

The following counties participated: Alachua, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Flagler, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Martin, Pasco, Pinellas, Seminole, St. Johns and Sumter.

“Operation Hallowed Streets has been a relief for families across Florida,” said Charlotte County Sheriff William Prummell, Jr. and Chair of the FSA Task Force. “The Florida Sheriffs are fully committed to the safety and security of our children. This meant making sure their Halloween night was fun and free from predators.”

Operation Hallowed Streets contributes to two of the FSA business operations goals: to foster effective law enforcement and crime prevention and to promote the activities of Sheriffs.