Ex-deputy Patrick Pielarz had faced complaints from the public and counseling before he was fired for “arrogance” during his probation period. He was arrested after a violent confrontation with his girlfriend.
Flagler County Sheriff
Palm Coast Signals Going Its Own Way In Growing Rift With County Over Radio System
City Manager Jim Landon is pressuring the county to replace its emergency radio infrastructure–on which the city and sheriff depend– well before 2020. The county is resisting, citing costs.
Sheriff Manfre Ethics Case: In Eviscerating Language, Judge Recommends $6,200 Fine, Public Reprimand and Censure
An administrative law judge suggests the sheriff lied under oath as part of his defense in a case that has clouded his term since 2014 and that continues to damage his image in a re-election campaign featuring a slew of opponents.
As Judge Calls Pot Laws “Harsh,” Sheriff and Public Defender Will Propose De-Criminalization Ordinance
Flagler Sheriff Jim Manfre and Public Defender Jim Purdy will craft a proposal to de-criminalize pot and move to a civil citation program. The proposal will first be vetted by the Public Safety Coordinating Council before heading for the county commission.
At Flagler’s Progressive Public Safety Council, a Farewell to Judge Walsh, and a Welcome to Foxman
The largely unheralded but powerfully representative Public Safety Coordinating Council was the scene of a passing of gavels of sorts Wednesday for Flagler County’s judiciary.
Dueling On, State Recommends $19,000 Fine and Public Reprimand Against Manfre, Who Maintains Innocence
The dueling recommendations in the long-standing ethics case against Sheriff Manfre are awaiting an administrative law judge’s decision, further dragging on an issue that has clouded the sheriff’s term into his re-election year.
As Flagler’s Emergency Communications Briefly Falter, Palm Coast and Sheriff Assail County Over Long-Term Plans
The county’s critical emergency radio system briefly failed when a tower lost its back-up power Thursday even as county, city and sheriff’s officials were meeting in the first high-level meeting since 2013 to deal with their differences over modernizing the emergency communications system.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Van Buren Announces Retirement 7 Weeks After He’s Named Deputy of the Year
Sgt. Michael van Buren had just ended one of his most decorated years since joining the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office 28 years ago. He is leaving to take a job in Palm Coast’s public works department and have more time with family.
Flagler Beach’s Lt. Cox, Among 10 Winners, Is Countywide Public Safety Person of the Year
Aside from Cox’s top award, winners included the Sheriff’s Senior Cmdr. Mark Carman, Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Jon Moscowitz and Bob Pickering of Emergency Management.
Rookie Deputy’s Discipline for Latest Crash: 30 Days Without a Patrol Car and Reprimand
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Kuleski will lose his patrol vehicle for 30 days and is the subject of written reprimand as a result of totaling a sheriff’s vehicle while on patrol last September, his second crash in four months.
Sheriff Manfre Proposes De-Criminalizing Pot Possession; County Officials and State Attorney Open to Idea
Following in the steps of three Florida counties and some 20 states, Sheriff Jim Manfre wants to replace criminal penalties for small amounts of pot with civil fines. State Attorney R.J. Larizza and county officials are willing to explore the new approach.
For One Rookie Deputy, 2 Totaled Patrol Cars and 2 Internal Investigations in 13 Months
A just-completed internal investigation found Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Kuleski had been speeding and imprudent when he crashed and totaled his patrol car on White View Parkway in September. It was the latest in a series of issues for the rookie deputy.
Ex-Cop Larry Jones Will Challenge Sheriff Manfre for Democratic Nomination
Larry Jones, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2014, is the nionth candidate for sheriff in this year’s election, but only the second on the Democratic side.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy and SWAT Member Jonathon Duenas Escapes Blazing Patrol Car on CR35
Deputy Jonathon Duenas was driving on CR 35 (off of SR 100), on the Westside of the county when a fire started in his patrol car’s trunk and quickly engulfed the vehicle. Duenas escaped with minor injuries.
The Palm Coast Fraternal Order of Police Furthers a Lie in a Protest at Epic Theaters
The FOP’s protest was triggered by false claims that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had called cops “murderers.” The lie didn’t stop FOP organizers from going ahead with their plans or standing by their protest even when shown Tarantino’s actual words.
Billboard Aims to Stoke New Leads Into Suspicious Vanishing in May of George Contos
Foul play is now suspected in the disappearance of Bunnell’s George Contos, 59, in May, as a billboard was unveiled by the sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers to aid in tracking down his whereabouts.
Mom’s an ER Nurse But Baby Wouldn’t Let Her Get There as Deputies Assist in Home Birth
Brittany Bowser, 25, gave birth to her son Jaxson in their Z-Section Palm Coast home 8 minutes after calling 911, with sheriff’s deputies assisting. Mom and son are fine, and eventually made it to Florida Hospital Flagler.
Sgt. Michael van Buren is Named Flagler County Deputy of the Year for 2nd Time
Sgt. van Buren was cited for saving a 4-year-old child from a locked car in July heat and controlling and averting a suicide-by cop with an armed woman in Palm Coast in September.
Christmas With a Deputy Returns for 8th Year as 100-Child Convoy Targets Shopping Spree
Since Sgt. Larry Jones (ret.) thought up the idea at his kitchen table in 2008, the number of poorer children getting to Christmas-shop with $150 with a cop has grown from 14 to 100.
Sheriff’s Lost Computer Files Are Recovered, But County Faces a $1.1 Million IT Fix
Some $600,000 was budgeted ahead of the October crash. But $500,000 was not. The county commission will have to find that money. And that’s just for this year as the county and sheriff catch up on neglected information infrastructure.
Palm Coast Ties Emergency Communications System to Recent Crash–Falsely, County Says
City Manager Jim Landon says he’s concerned about maintenance of the countywide 800 mhz communications system, suggesting it could crash as parts of the sheriff’s computer system recently did–an inaccurate suggestion that deflects from other problems, the county retorts.
Crime Rises 2.4% in Flagler in Mid-Year Report, First Increase Since 2009
A spike in burglaries and larcenies sent Flagler County’s overall crime rate up 2.4 percent in the first six months of 2015, in contrast with crime in Florida as a whole, where it has fallen 2.2 percent.
Palm Coast Seeks to Bail on County-Wide Communications System It joined in 2009 in Latest Clash With Flagler
Palm Coast and Flagler County governments are trading accusations of violating a 2009 agreement over the critical 800 mhz system as Palm Coast quit contributing its share of dollars to it and the county charges that the city is inventing an issue without a problem.
Sheriff Rethinks Joint IT Operations With County Amid Discord Over Computer Failure
Sheriff Jim Manfre wants to “transition” from the merger with the county’s IT operations less than two years after he and the county approved it as a signal of cooperation and efficiency.
Sheriff Reveals Breadth of Computer Failure and Safety Lapses, and Sharply Blames County
Sheriff Manfre, in a terse letter to County Administrator Craig Coffey, says the failure was one of several, it jeopardized officer safety and may have wiped out 20 months of critical data, and he asks for answers.
Palm Coast Sheriff’s Precinct Cmdr. Mark Carman T-Boned in Cypress Edge Collision
Mark Carman, the long-time captain–now commander–of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Palm Coast Precinct, was t-boned by a 23-year-old driver but not seriously injured in a crash as he drove on Cypress Edge Drive last week.
Deputies’ Dispatching System Edging Back to Life, But Some Sheriff’s Data May Be Lost
The CAD system went offline on Oct. 29 and had been only fitfully operational since after a server failure that may have erased significant data with it. CAD was offline again this morning, but was working this afternoon.
In Muted Appearance at Sheriff’s Opening, Gov. Scott Speaks of Unappreciated Police
Scott, his energy more Carsonesque than usual was as if upstaged by the pride and eagerness of local officials reveling in the new operations center and framing the occasion in touching personal stories.
“Catastrophic Failure” in Sheriff’s Computer System Jeopardizing Records and Stalling Data
Friday afternoon the server that runs the sheriff’s office’s computer assisted dispatching and stores massive amounts of data ran out of space and crashed. It is not expected to be back in full operation any time soon.
Sgt. Van Buren, Cited for Bravery in Suicide-by-Cop Attempt, Among 3 Honored
Flagler County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Van Buren was named Deputy of the Quarter for his bravery and conflict-resolution skills during a tense encounter with an armed woman in September. Detention Deputy Justin Bailey and Executive Assistant Sheri Gopie were also honored.
Gov. Scott, Back in Flagler for 7th Time, Will Open Sheriff’s New Operations Center Tuesday
Gov. Rick Scott will mark the grand opening of the $5 million Sheriff’s Operations Center in downtown Bunnell, with numerous local elected officials at his side. He last visited Flagler more than a year ago, during a campaign stop.
For Flagler’s NAACP, More Trust Than Fear of Local Police as Body Cams Clip On
Flagler NAACP members were mostly reassured by use-of-force evidence that, according to the Sheriff’s Office, has declined in Palm Coast, thanks in large part to police body cameras.
As Expected, Sheriff Jim Manfre Announces Run for Re-Election, and Draws Rivals’ Fire
Sheriff Jim Manfre is the only Democrat in a race that’s drawn six Republicans so far, including ex-sheriff Don Fleming and ex-Undersheriff Rick Staly, both of whom took Thursday’s announcement as an opportunity to discredit Manfre’s record.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Accredited For Third Time
The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation awarded the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office its third re-accreditation since receiving initial accreditation in February 2005.
A Year Later, a Memorial to Deputy Delarosby Flickers Steps From Where He Took His Life
A few dozen people gathered at Heroes Park Tuesday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of Deputy Joe Delarosby’s suicide there, recalling memories, saying prayers and singing Amazing Grace.
Sheriff Shows Off New HQ to Public, But Commissioners Who Bought It Are No-Shows
None of the four county commissioners who voted for the $6.5 million acquisition and transformation of the old Memorial Hospital into the sheriff’s operations center showed up at Wednesday’s open house.
Police Body Cams: Exemptions From Public-Record Disclosure Belie Intended Transparency
Police body cams were intended to improve accountability and public access to cops’ work. Access exemptions in Florida and many other states are instead countering their intended purpose.
Sheriff Hires 13 Deputies, Underscoring Turnover of More Than 100 in Three Years
Well over a third of the Flagler Sheriff’s 285 positions have turned over in Jim Manfre’s three-year tenure, while 85 percent of full-timers have less than 15 years’ service–and a third have less than three years.
Video In Suicide-By-Cop Attempt Shows Deputies’ Control of Hairtrigger Confrontation
The eight-minute video of the confrontation, posted here, shows P-Section resident Stacy Culotta holding a gun and how Sgt. Van Buren and two other deputies eventually defused the situation.
Flagler’s Push For Trio of Cell Towers Rising Higher Than Statue of Liberty Beams Alarms
Flagler County Emergency Services wants the three towers, including an especially controversial one on John Anderson Highway in Flagler Beach, to improve its communications network, but residents and environmentalists are raising questions.
Though Likely Profiled and “Harassed,” Flagler Sheriff’s CSI Pazarena Is Reprimanded Over “Conduct Unbecoming” Anyway
An internal sheriff’s investigation completed today makes clear that Pazarena and her boyfriend at no time behaved improperly at a Vitamin shop where the incident occurred, or did anything more than what an overly inquisitive shopper might do, though store employees exhibited behavior identical to profiling.
Speculate No More: Ex-Undersheriff Rick Staly Declares Run Against Ex-Boss Manfre
Staly’s announcement was long expected and similar to his 2004 run for sheriff in Orange County. He joins a crowded field of Republican contenders vying to take on Democrat Manfre.
Still Under Internal Investigation, Flagler Sheriff’s CSI Pazarena Returns to Full Duties
Laura Pazarena, the Flagler County Sheriff’s crime scene technician hired two years ago to launch the department’s first CSI unit, is under internal investigation, and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome.
Sheriff Plans DUI Checkpoint Saturday at SR100 East of Old Kings Road Saturday Night
The checkpoints typically result in far fewer arrests for drunk driving than for other reasons: drivers may charged with a host of issues that have nothing to do with drunk driving, including for drug possession or for non-moving violations such as non-functioning headlights or tail lights or irregular registration.
Matanzas Woods Construction Forces Temporary School Bus Routes For Nearby Students
As school resumes Monday, transportation changes are afoot in the Matanzas High area, while the sheriff’s office has issued a series of cautions and tips to parents and students.
Report on Active-Shooter Exercise at FPC Points to Serious Flaws in Command, Communications and Cooperation
The unvarnished after-action report paints a troubling picture of sheriff’s and fire rescue operations that worked poorly as a coordinated, cooperative and unified response, though they worked well in their individual parts.
Flagler’s Irresponsible Gun Owners: 37 Firearms Stolen Since 2014, Mostly From Unlocked Cars
Just seven of the stolen guns have been recovered. The rest are in the hands of criminals, putting residents and police at greater risk, the Flagler sheriff’s office warns.
Rookie Flagler Deputy Jonathan Kuleski Cleared of Wrongdoing at Party With Under-Age Drinkers
The April party had taken place on private property–where the 15 people involved had been trespassing–with some of the drinkers younger than 21.
Palm Coast Council Member Bill McGuire Wants End to City Funding of School Deputy
Palm Coast pays for one of the six school deputies on Flagler’s 11 campuses. McGuire wants the school district to pick up that cost, but he drew little support from fellow-council members.
Whistleblower Suit Against Sheriff Proceeds as Judge Rejects Latest Attempt to Dismiss It
Circuit Judge Michael Orfinger this morning ordered the whistleblower lawsuit to go forward, putting the case on track for trial next year, in the thick of Manfre’s re-election campaign.