Press Conference to Discuss New Initiative to Seize Vehicles from People Who Flee from Deputies (24-075)

PINELLAS COUNTY – On June 5, 2024, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a press conference to discuss a new initiative to seize vehicles that have fled from law enforcement.

Since January 2022, there have been 1,042 cases of people who have committed the offense of fleeing and eluding by fleeing in a vehicle from a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy when directed to stop.

Effective Tuesday, June 11, 2024, anyone who flees in a vehicle from a Pinellas County deputy when directed to stop will have their vehicle seized under the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act.

If the driver of the vehicle who flees law enforcement is the vehicle's owner, their vehicle will be seized.

If the driver of the vehicle who flees from law enforcement is not the owner of the vehicle, the owner will be provided with written notice that a specific person who was driving their vehicle has committed the felony offense of fleeing and eluding, and if the same person does it again, their vehicle will be seized.

If the driver of the vehicle who flees from law enforcement is driving a vehicle that is owned by a rental car company, the rental car company will be provided with written notice that a specific person committed the felony offense of fleeing & eluding in the vehicle owned by the rental car company. If the same person flees from law enforcement again in a vehicle owned by the rental car company, the vehicle they are driving at that time of the subsequent fleeing will be seized.

Sheriff Gualtieri stated, “This is real simple, if you own a car and value it, don’t run from the cops. If you own a car and value it, don’t loan it to someone you know that runs from the police.”