Sheriff Roth a "Difference Maker": Sheriff Richard Roth received a "Difference Maker" award March 26th in Tallahassee for his contributions to the Take Stock in Children program. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has contributed $190,000.00 from forfeiture funds over a four year period to the program. "This program does wonderful things for the children of Monroe County and I'm proud to have helped in that effort," Sheriff Roth said. The plaque he received reads: "For giving generously to provide hope and opportunity to Monroe County's children." In the photo, left to right,  Paul Avery, President of Outback Steakhouse, Inc. and Chairman of the Board Take Stock In Children, Sheriff Roth, and Marcus Christian, President, Take Stock In Children.

Sheriff's Report: Traffic Accident Investigation in the Keys

The past month has been an extremely busy one for us.  We've had two hijacked Cuban airplanes land at the Key West International airport, which our Civil Division then seized for auction; we had a violent murder-suicide case in the upper Keys, where a man killed his wife and then himself; a terrible fatal accident on the Seven Mile bridge killed three people and closed the roadway for hours; yet another fatal accident on Rockland Key killed a local woman, and closed the road for hours, and the list goes on.

While the Cuban airplane hijackings and the murder-suicide are isolated incidents not likely to happen with any frequency in our county, the traffic accidents are another matter. They are all to common here, and the accompanying road closures can be a major disruption in the ability of our citizens to go about their daily business.

I want to talk, in this issue of Community News, about how traffic accidents are investigated in Monroe County and about why it is sometimes necessary to close our only roadway for hours due to such accidents.

First and foremost, you should know that the Florida Highway Patrol investigates all serious injury accidents in the Florida Keys, outside the city of Key West. We are usually first on the scene, followed by Fire/Rescue units, but our officers deal solely with the emergency at hand, including caring for those who are injured and making sure the scene is safe, as well as handling traffic control issues. When Florida Highway Patrol arrives, they take over as primary investigators and, as such, make all the decisions about closing the road, when and how wrecked vehicles are moved, and if we can divert traffic around the accident scene or not.

Our officers work closely with Florida Highway Patrol, and can make suggestions about how traffic might be kept moving, but it is FHPs final call.

That being said, I must tell you that many times it is simply impossible to move traffic around an accident in the Keys. On a bridge, there is no room, and in many other areas it is unsafe for various reasons. The Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol have discussed the issue of getting traffic moving as soon as possible when a serious injury accident occurs, and we have both agreed it is a priority. We have both agreed we will move traffic around a scene whenever it is possible to do so, and will complete any necessary investigation as quickly as possible. However, the number one priority has to be the accident investigation itself, and making sure it is done thoroughly and completely.

We do our best to let local radio and television stations know what is happening, and when the road might be open to traffic. Local radio stations don' t always have someone in the studio to take our calls, and sometimes it is difficult to know for sure, and details are not always immediately available.

I know that, sitting in traffic for hours, it is difficult to be patient and understanding. It is frustrating not knowing how long you will be there or when you will be able to get where you need to go. Keep in mind, though, that there may be people involved who were injured or killed, and they or their surviving family members deserve the best investigation of the circumstances that the Florida Highway Patrol can give them.

Take care, and stay safe.

   Sheriff, Monroe County

Sector 7: Old Mariner's Hospital Renovation
By Captain Jennifer Bell-Thomson, Commander Sector 7

The Old Mariner's Hospital Building was purchased almost three years ago using money seized from a drug smuggler by the Federal Government with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. At the March Board of County Commissioner’s meeting, the hiring of DL Porter Construction was approved and the renovation process should now begin. The building will house the upper Keys Sector 7 Sheriff's Substation, as well as the Public Defender's Office and the Health Department. No taxpayer money was used in the purchase, and none will be used to renovate the Sheriff's Office portion of the building, including the entire roof, and the building's air-conditioning system. There have been questions and concerns raised by members of the public about this purchase that I’d like to address in this newsletter.

 Many people have questioned why the Sheriff chose to purchase and renovate a building in the Village rather than in Key Largo.  Several options were discussed over a long period of time prior to making this decision.  First and foremost was the availability of buildable property in Key Largo, the cost of that property, and how long we would have to wait to obtain permits to build a new substation.

 The Old Mariner’s, while indeed old, was still a viable building, it was available at a fair price, it is big enough to house several agencies, it is close to the jail, court system, Clerk, and other county offices, and it is centrally located for all the people we serve. While a sheriff’s office patrol staff is assigned to Islamorada, they do not provide what have been termed ‘county-wide’ services, and residents of the Village still must come to the Plantation Key substation for a host of services.  And lastly, renovation, as opposed to purchasing land and building a new building, was a quicker and less expensive option.

For any of you who have visited our building lately, I know you’ll agree that the sooner we’re in a new building, the better.  Our building was built as a residence and one-cell jail in the late 1950’s.  Over time it has been haphazardly added to.  For many years now, and more increasingly as time goes on, we have experienced the effects of the building’s age.  We’ve been forced to seal off one bathroom already, and every other weekend or so the plumbing backs up in one of the other restrooms.  Two weeks ago the fire department responded to investigate the smell of burning electrical wires.  We blow fuses frequently; the last time we had a severe lightning strike and subsequent downpour, several thousand dollars in computer equipment was ruined.  To continue to pour money into repairs of the roof, air conditioning and plumbing is a waste. 

 After considering every issue, the decision to purchase the Mariner’s building was made.  I must stress one very critical point regarding how the sheriff’s office provides service.  Deputies do not respond to calls for service from the public from the substation.  They are each assigned zones in Key Largo and come to the station only if they need to take care of administrative duties, when they have a prisoner, or when they go to court.  When a Key Largo deputy is here at the station, another one is assigned to take his or her place so that the zone is covered.  We also have office space in the Tradewinds shopping center, which is equipped with a phone, fax, and computer, so that deputies don’t always need to come to the substation on Plantation Key.  So in terms of the most important service we provide – the response of a deputy sheriff to a call, the location of our building has no impact whatsoever.

 I am particularly pleased that the new building will allow space for a public meeting room – something the sheriff agreed was needed, so that citizen’s groups in Islamorada and Tavernier will have a place close by to use for meetings.  I am looking forward to occupying our new building in the latter part of 2004 if all goes well. 

The City of Marathon and Sector 5: Awards, Community Policing
By Captain Robert P. Peryam, Commander, Marathon District

Deputies Greg Korzen, Joel Slough and Sonya Morgan as well as Sergeants Jake Brady and Sam Cassel were awarded medals by Sheriff Rick Roth. Sgt. Cassel could not be present at the ceremony.

On April 21st, five Marathon Deputies received awards for their duty above and beyond the call. Sergeant Sam Cassel, Deputies Greg Korzen, Joel Slough and Sonya Morgan received the Distinguished Service Medal for their actions evacuating over one hundred residents at the Holiday Inn in Marathon during a fire. These officers acted as a team and with a well formulated plan. Their actions were commensurate with the values and objectives of the Sheriff’s Office.

Sergeant Jake Brady and Deputies Joel Slough and Sonya Morgan found themselves at an apartment fire about a week later and they entered the building at the risk of their own lives to extricate an unconscious woman who lie helplessly on the floor. They were awarded the Sheriff’s Medal at the same Officer of the Year ceremony.

Community Oriented Policing: At the left, Deputies Louis Rivera, Chuck Kellenberger and Iscandel Perez ready to ride. 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.

In Marathon, just last month we completed three two-day training classes that were open to all residents. Students were taught the intricacies of community oriented policing. The methods now being employed in this community are time honored and proven to address the causes of crime, identify possible counter measures and enact solutions for the benefit of all. The SARA process is one of the most successful tools that has been developed. This process includes the following measures:

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. You may see your Deputies working in uniform and driving a marked police patrol car, patrolling on a police mountain bike, or if the situation calls for it, operating a wave runner or four-wheel drive ATV on the beach or working in plain clothes. The flexibility of their work schedule, coupled with creative and innovative problem-solving efforts, allows them to resolve problems beyond traditional responses.

Sergeant Dennis Cain supervises most of our aggressive, pro-active community measures. If you have any suggestions, comments or complaints please feel free to contact Sergeant Cain at the Marathon Sub-Station at 289-2430. He and all of your Deputies are here to serve you and our community. We are here for you -- 24 / 7 / 365.