//Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties
Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Our Town Sarasota News Events

Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties

Sarasota Crime Map by area: https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/sarasota/crime

Sarasota County 911 Dispatch Records: https://dispatchreporting.scgov.net/Events?strAgencyID=All

 

Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Our Town Sarasota News Events Sarasota County Sheriff, Kurt A. Hoffman

https://www.sarasotasheriff.org/
Headquarters
941.861.5800 Emergency 911
Lobby hours: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
        6010 Cattleridge Blvd.
        Sarasota, FL 34232

Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman is the 11th Sheriff of Sarasota County, serving since January 5, 2021. He has served our community for more than 30 years as both a prosecutor for the 12th Judicial Circuit and as the general counsel for the sheriff’s office since 2005. During his tenure at the sheriff’s office, Hoffman was promoted to Captain, Major, and Colonel. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo College, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from International College, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Sheriff Hoffman is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Police Legal Advisors Training Program and a member of the Florida Bar’s Labor and Employment Law, and City, County and Local Government Law sections. In 2011, Sheriff Hoffman completed the FBI’s Florida Executive Development Seminar and in 2014, graduated from the FBI National Academy, during which time he also earned a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from the University of Virginia.

Originally from Indiana, Sheriff Hoffman moved to Florida in 1982 and graduated from Lemon Bay High School in 1984. Sheriff Hoffman and his wife, Teri, have one son and one grandson and currently reside in Venice.
________________________________________________________

Venice Chief of police Charlie Thorpe

Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Our Town Sarasota News Events  Chief Charlie Thorpe is a 30+ year law enforcement officer.  He began his career in his home town of Urbana, Ohio in 1988 as an officer for the Urbana Police Department.  In 1990 he and his new wife, Tammy, moved to Sarasota, where he was hired as a deputy sheriff for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. 

Charlie retired as a captain from the SCSO after a satisfying and diverse career of 27 years with that agency.  While at the SCSO, he took on a multitude of assignments and roles, including Patrol, Special Operations, Community Policing (five times in four different ranks), Criminal Investigations, and his favorite – command of the Intelligence Section where he developed the “Intelligence 2 Action” Program.

Charlie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of South Florida.

Charlie Thorpe

Chief of Police
Tel: (941) 486-2444
Fax: (941) 480-3027

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

_______________________________________________________

Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Our Town Sarasota News Events Manatee County Sheriff, Rick Wells. https://www.manateesheriff.com/

FOR EMERGENCIES IN PROGRESS: CALL 911

TO REPORT A CRIME OR NON-EMERGENCY, CALL 941-747-3011 EXTENSION 2260

Sheriff Rick Wells was sworn in as Sheriff of Manatee County on January 3, 2017, and is currently serving in his second term. Sheriff Wells was the Palmetto Police Department’s Police Chief from 2010 to 2015; and also spent 21 years at Florida Highway Patrol where he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Sheriff Wells has more than 33 years experience in law enforcement.

Sheriff Wells was born in Tampa, Florida, moving to Manatee County in 1978. He graduated from Manatee High School in 1982; attended Manatee Junior College, and has an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. He is also a graduate of Saint Leo University; Command Officer Management Program.

In 1991, Sheriff Wells was named the Manatee County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. He received the Manatee County Whitey Knutsen Award in 1991; Unidos Now Visionary Award in 2012; the NAACP Humanitarian Award in 2014, and the Edgar H. Price, Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2016.Serving as an instructor in his field, Sheriff Wells has taught law enforcement to governmental, educational, and community organizations throughout Florida. He is currently the Executive Director of Manatee County Police League, Chairperson of the Manatee County Law Enforcement Council and Law Enforcement Advisory Board Council for the Manatee Technical College, and a board member of the North Manatee Kiwanis, Replay Advisory Council, and Strength in Action. Sheriff Wells has also served with the Boy Scouts of America, Keep Manatee Beautiful, Manatee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, and North Manatee Storm Football.

Sheriff Wells is married to Lupita Wells and has three sons.
______________________________________________________________

Law Enforcement Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Our Town Sarasota News Events

Melanie Bevan became the Chief of the Bradenton Police Department in 2016 and has over 34 years of law enforcement experience. The department has a combined sworn and civilian strength of 180 personnel, serving a community of approximately 63,000 citizens. Prior to this, she served the St. Petersburg Police Department for 29 years, retiring at the rank of Assistant Chief. Since arriving in Bradenton, she has introduced a host of safety measures and community engagement protocols which illustrate her community-centricity and commitment to being a strong advocate for newer and better ways of policing.

Chief Bevan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University in 1997, her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Troy State University in 2001, and her Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University in 2011. She is an adjunct professor in the Homeland Security Program for the State College of Florida. She also serves as a Consultant in the field of officer safety and wellness for the VALOR program, and police executive development.

She is a 2005 graduate of the 219th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy. In 2012, Chief Bevan was one of 13 law enforcement leaders nationwide chosen to attend the Anti-Defamation League National Counter Terrorism Seminar for Police Executives held in Israel. In 2013, she completed the four-week Cohort of the Naval Postgraduate Center for Homeland Security and Defense, Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program in Monterey, California. She is a 2018 graduate of the 77th Session of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) and was a member of the Leadership Florida 2019-2020 Cornerstone Class 38.

Chief Bevan is a member of the International Leadership Association “for those who practice, study and teach leadership”; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and serves on the Executive Board as the Secretary/Treasurer for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. She has been involved as a Mentor for Take Stock in Children of Pinellas/Manatee for 18 years. Chief Bevan was the recipient of the 2018 Women’s Resource Center’s Manatee Wonder Woman Award. She was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the Criminal Punishment Code Force in 2019, and to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission in 2020 to a four-year term.