Whichever way you look at it, the Flagler County Commission’s and its administrator’s letter to the school district calling for a plan to defund the county’s portion of money for school deputies was clumsy, terribly timed, and an unnecessary invitation to political grandstanding in an election year. Deputies aren’t going anywhere, nor is the county’s funding. But nor should this be another invitation for the School Board to consider harebrained ideas like arming staffers.
Flagler County Sheriff
School Board and Parents Grapple with County’s ‘Blindsiding’ Call To Defund Its Portion of School Deputies
Flagler County School Board members and parents spoke of surprise, concern and “blindsiding,” in the words of the board’s chair, in reaction to a Feb. 13 letter from County Administrator Heidi Petito to the superintendent saying the county had reached “an important decision” to “gradually transfer the financial responsibility” for $1.4 million in “these legacy expenditures to the school district,” including the county’s more than $1 million commitment to school resource deputies.
Sheriff Staly to County: ‘Defunding School Resources Deputies Is Fundamentally Wrong’
When the the County Commission first raised the possibility of ending its contribution to the Flagler County school district’s school resource deputy program a year ago, Sheriff Rick Staly wrote the commission chairman a four-page letter sharply criticizing the possibility and explaining why. Now that the County Commission is pushing that possibility further, Staly’s letter is relevant again, and presented here in full.
Flagler County Plans to End $1.4 Million Contribution for School Deputies, Administrator Tells Superintendent
Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito last week wrote Superintendent LaShakia Moore that county government will no longer pay the $1.4 million a year in subsidies for the school district’s School Resource Officer, ending a 50-50 cost-sharing agreement that’s been in place for a decade. The county is not required by law to share the district’s security costs.
Clarifying Its Own Roles, School Board Finally Approves Carver Gym Agreement with Expanded PAL Presence
It took half a year, but the Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening approved the new agreement that will revamp and control the operation of the Carver Center, or Carver Gym, in Bunnell, in cooperation with Flagler County, the City of Bunnell, the Sheriff’s Office and its Police Athletic League. PAL will have a much larger role running activities at the center.
Flagler County and New Florida State Guard Sign Lease on $10 Million Training Facility Near Sheriff’s Jail in Bunnell
It is no longer just a possibility. It is now a certainty. The Florida State Guard’s training facility will be located in Flagler County next to the Flagler County jail on Justice Lane in Bunnell. The County Commission on Monday approved a 30-year lease with the Guard. As with the National Guard armory on county grounds near the county airport, the State Guard will not pay rent.
Sheriff’s Citizen Observer Patrol (COP) Unit Hosts Annual Awards Banquet
The banquet was led by volunteer Chief Roberson Brown, who leads the dedicated COP Unit volunteers in handling various tasks that allow sworn deputies to handle and investigate more serious crimes. The banquet was also attended by Sheriff Rick Staly and his wife Debbie, Chief Jon Welker, Chief David Williams, Commander Scott Vedder, and Commander Kenny Goncalves.
Approval of Carver Center’s Joint Agreement Is Upended as School Board Has Late-Breaking Changes
In the works since June, a new, joint agreement on management and oversight of the Carver Center in Bunnell will have to wait until at least January before it is enacted, because a misstep at the school district delayed a legal review of the agreement. That kept the School Board from seeing the revised proposal for the first time until the County Commission had already approved the original version.
Sheriff Staly Is Honored with Bethune-Cookman’s Law Enforcement Leadership Award
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly was recognized with the Law Enforcement Leadership Award at the 6th Annual Florida Historically Black Colleges and Universities (FL HBCUs) Law Enforcement Luncheon hosted by the Center for Law and Social Justice at Bethune-Cookman University (BCU). Sheriff Staly received the award for his leadership, community-policing engagement efforts, and for providing internships and opportunities to minority applicants and BCU interns.
Sheriff’s Shop With a Cop Raises Over $35,000 for Christmas Spree, Shattering records
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office employees contributed nearly $25,000 and community organizations another $10,000 to the Flagler Sheriff Children’s Charities Shop With A Cop event set for Dec. 15 at the Palm Coast Walmart.
Proposed Joint Agreement on Bunnell’s Carver Center Governance Gives Sheriff’s PAL New and Larger Role
A proposed joint agreement on governing the Carver Center in South Bunnell–the area’s only recreation and community center–gives the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Police Athletic League a broader presence and a much more prominent role in the management of the facility, especially in programming and running the gym.
Sheriff’s Michael Breckwoldt Demoted to Corporal Following Investigation of Drinking Incident at Finn’s Bar
Michael Breckwoldt, the 20-year veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office who was in charge of the agency’s narcotics unit until last May, was demoted from sergeant to corporal and placed on last-chance probation for a year and a half as a result of an incident at Finn’s Beachside Pub in Flagler Beach, where Breckwoldt’s drinking led to “offensive behavior,” in violation of agency policy, and where he behaved in an unbecoming way toward patrons.
Flagler Sheriff Sends 10-Member Emergency Response Team to Help in Hurricane Idalia Recovery
Ten members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team are deploying to Florida’s Big Bend region to assist in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Idalia after being activated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Sheriff’s Association Task Force.
Flagler County Jail Wins National Innovation Award for Initiatives Preparing Inmates’ Re-Integration
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s jail has been awarded the 2023 Innovation Award for medium-sized facilities by the American Jail Association. Sheriff Staly, Court and Detention Services Chief Dan Engert, and other Detention Services members accepted the award at AJA’s 42nd Conference and Jail Expo in Omaha, Nebraska during the awards banquet.
Charlie Ericksen Jr. Is Laid to Rest With Military Honors and Solemn Salutes at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery
Charlie Frederick Ericksen Jr., the former Flagler County commissioner, U.S. Army Lieutenant and father of three who died on July 31 in Celebration, was laid to rest at Cape Canaveral National cemetery with military honors this afternoon following a solemn ceremony attended by family, a few friends, and a few Flagler County officials past and present.
School District’s Cost for Security at Alternative School with 2 Teachers and 25 Students: $142,500
The Flagler County school district is paying $142,500 a year for security at its relatively new alternative school on the campus of Flagler Palm Coast High School–an alternative school with just two teachers and an average of 20 students per quarter, some of them virtual, and that operates only four days a week.
Sheriff’s Communications Supervisor Heather Robinson Is Line Supervisor of the Year
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Communications Supervisor Heather Robinson accepted the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Line Supervisor of the Year award for 2023! Heather was recognized during the Opening General Session at APCO 2023, APCO’s Annual Conference & Expo in Nashville.
Sheriff’s Employees Donate $25,645 to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) employees donated $25,645 to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches (FSYR) making FCSO employee’s total donations to the FSYR over $158,000 since 2017.
Sheriff Staly Appointed to State Advisory Board by Agriculture Commissioner
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly has been appointed to Florida’s Private Investigation, Recovery and Security Advisory Council (PIRSAC) by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson to fill the law enforcement position on the Board. Commissioner Simpson was elected in 2022 to serve as one of four Florida Cabinet members.
Sheriff Staly Buries Two Time Capsules Commemorating Agency Milestones
The “FCSO Centennial Time Capsule” is set to be opened on July 9th, 2067, the agency’s 150th anniversary. The second time capsule is to be opened on November 7th, 2072, the 50th anniversary of the Dedication Ceremony for the new Sheriff’s Operations Center.
Flagler County Whirs Closer to Buying $5.4 Million Replacement for FireFlight Helicopter
In a busy pair of meetings today, the Flagler County Commission got closer to buying a new emergency helicopter, set the maximum tax rate for next year, and set proposed rates that would increase garbage pick-up costs by 45 percent.
Palm Coast Wants More Action on ‘Bad Drivers,’ Litterers and Priorities as Sheriff Submits Budget
Submitting his annual budget to the Palm Coast City Council this morning, Staly heard requests for more help with “bad drivers” and litterers to maintain quality of life, and answered an extended series of questions from a council member on the paradox between a sharply falling crime rate and a still-rising jail population.
Flagler School Board Rejects Arming Employees in 3-2 Vote, Citing Too Many Doubts for Now
The Flagler County School Board this evening rejected on a 3-2 vote a proposal to arm some school employees on the unfounded assumption that it would improve security. The vote ends a year-long discussion about the so-called “guardian program,” as a majority of board members still had too many questions, doubts, and lacking buy-in from school staff.
Sheriff Negotiates $10 Million Joint Training Facility for Local Police, Fire and State Guard HQ
The Flagler County Commission and the Florida State Guard are preparing to sign a lease agreement conceived by Sheriff Rick Staly that would have the Guard build a $10 million headquarters and training facility in Bunnell that would also be a training ground for all local law enforcement and firefighting agencies.
Flagler Sheriff Requests 12.2% Budget Increase and 5 New Deputies from County as Constitutionals Submit Proposals
All constitutional officers’ budgets will be reviewed by the County Commission Monday. The sheriff’s budget, the largest constitutional portion in the county budget, would include funding for five new deputies, increasing retirement costs, union-negotiated pay increases and a 5.3 percent across-the-board cost of living pay increase.
Flagler Sheriff’s Chief Welker Graduates from Prestigious FBI National Academy
FCSO Community Policing Division Chief Jonathan Welker graduated from the 286th session of the FBI National Academy (FBINA) in Quantico, Virginia on June 8th.
Flagler Sheriff’s Sgt. Breckwoldt, In Charge of Narcotics Unit, at Center of Abuse of Power Allegation
Sgt. Michael Breckwoldt, a 20-year veteran of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and the supervisor of its narcotics unit, is at the center of an allegation that he had a physical altercation with a bar patron and flaunted and abused his power while drunk at a Flagler Beach bar early this morning, claiming he runs the town.
Sheriff Increases Motors Unit Staffing to Address Traffic Violations
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has increased its Motors Unit staffing from five to eight deputies in an effort to address the traffic quality of life in the community.
Detention Facility Wins 2023 American Jail Association’s Innovation Award
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility (SPHIDF) has been awarded the 2023 Innovation Award for medium-sized facilities by the American Jail Association.
2023 Sheriff’s Gala Raises $130,000 for Employee Assistance as Attorney General Ashley Moody Headlines
More than 180 guests attended the 5th Annual Sheriff’s Gala to benefit the Flagler Sheriff’s Employee Assistance Trust at the Hammock Beach Resort including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, raising $130,000.
Sheriff’s SWAT Team Members Place in Top 10 at National Sniper Competition
This is the second year in a row FCSO’s SWAT Snipers have placed in the top 10 during the annual national sniper competition. This year’s competition and training was held in St. Petersburg/Clearwater
At Sheriff’s Ceremony: ‘Behind Every Fallen Officer, a Family Who Bears the Burden of Loss’
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office held the annual Fallen Heroes Memorial Candlelight Vigil Thursday evening, the first time the ceremony was held at the new Sheriff’s Operations Center in Bunnell.
Wadsworth Elementary’s Karter Consolazio’s Alertness Earns Him a Sheriff’s Scholarship
Sheriff Staly and Deputy Erlandson presented Karter Consolazio with a certificate for a scholarship to attend the FCSO Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Academy this summer.
Hammock Dunes Club Donates $100,000 to Sheriff’s Police Athletic League
The Hammock Dunes Club has donated $100,000 to the Flagler Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (FSPAL) following their signature fundraising event, The RALLY. The money will be used toward a new FSPAL facility.
Sheriff Launches Voluntary Surveillance Camera Registry Tapping Private Homes, Businesses and Agencies
The camera registry is an online portal for citizens to register their security cameras in order to help solve crimes in the community. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is hoping that citizens will register their cameras and help create a community-wide public safety ecosystem.
How Cupcake Café’s TikTok of Mr Keith’s Surgical Cake Order Went Viral in Whirls of Good Wishes
TikTok clips by Theresa Tazewell, owner of Cupcake Cafe in Palm Coast, went viral as she documented customer Keith’s wish to pay for his wife’s birthday cake in advance for fear that he might die during surgery. He survived, and was lavished with millions of good wishes from a round the globe through Tazewell’s TikToks.
‘Our Ambitious Agenda Is Well Underway,’ Renner tells Joint Legislative Session
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made remarks to the House on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session. Sheriff Rick Staly and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard were Renner’s guests.
Already Serving Life, Carlos DuPree Is Convicted on Charges of Assaulting Jail Deputy
A jury on Wednesday found Carlos DuPree, 37, guilty of assaulting Flagler jail corrections deputy deputy Edward Wallace over a search of DuPree’s Koran in 2021, resulting in a five-year prison sentence in addition to a life term for home invasion that DuPree is already serving.
School Board Chair Wants To Hear From Employees: Do You Want Armed Staffers on Campus?
As the Flagler County School Board nears a decision on arming some staffers on campus, School Board member Cheryl Massaro isn’t convinced that’s what employees want. She wants to hear from them before making a decision, and invited employees to use a district app or link to share their thoughts.
Commissioners Blame ‘Bad Planning’ as Cost to Replace Jail Security System Triples in Months
The Flagler County jail’s surveillance system, including 149 cameras, is not yet seven years old. It’s failing. The Flagler County Commission–the jail’s landlord–is having to replace it for $1.6 million, just months after the county administration told commissioners that it would cost only $500,000.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office Announces Death of K-9 Keanu Just Shy of His 4th Birthday
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office this morning announced the death of K-9 Keanu, a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday and a little over two years into his service with the Sheriff’s Office.
Flagler Sheriff Adds Live 911 Video Option for Callers to Show Their Emergency in Real Time
Flagler County Sheriff’s 911 dispatchers can now have a live video feed from any caller with a smartphone, with the caller’s permission, vastly improving 911 dispatchers’ awareness of an emergency scene and GPS location, so they can send the proper resources.
Sheriff’s Community Engagement Unit Trains 3,000th Woman in Self-Defense
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit hosted its 203rd Women’s Self-Defense Course and trained its 3,000th female participant on Thursday, January 26th. The class was hosted at the Palm Coast Community Center for City of Palm Coast employees.
Flagler Jail Eliminates All Hard-Copy Mail to Inmates as Scanning and Tablets Replace Paper
All hard-copy mail delivery to the Flagler County jail’s 225-some inmates has been replaced by scans of mail. It is part of a sweeping change in the handling of inmate mail across the state at least 14 other states as prisons and jails cut down on incoming materials. The switch has drawn sharp criticism from prisoner advocates and strong support by those implementing it, as in Flagler.
Smiles Nite Club’s David Ghiloni Gets Sheriff’s Lifesaving Award for Jumping Gunman
David Ghiloni along with other bar patrons intervened when a gunman was holding a gun to a woman’s head at Smiles Nite Club in November.
Should There Be Armed Civilians in Schools? Flagler District Will Survey Employees and Residents
With numerous questions still unanswered–and some unanswerable questions–the Flagler County School Board is moving forward with gauging interest from school employees and residents in arming civilians in schools as a presumed addition to the security provided by the Sheriff’s Office’s school resource deputies.
Sheriff’s Office’s Ultra-Modern Operations Center Is Dedicated, Ending 4 1/2 Years of Nomadic Existence
Sheriff Rick Staly dedicated the $20 million, 51,600 square foot Sheriff’s Operations Center off Commerce Boulevard before hundreds today, ending four and a half years of borrowing space from the courthouse, among other locations, and closing an unhappy chapter in the county’s history.
Setting Off From New North Pole, Shop With a Cop Returns Tonight, Lights Ablaze and Sirens Blaring
Tonight’s the night when the Walmart parking lot will be ablaze with the emergency lights of dozens of cop cars as they converge on the store with 119 children aboard for the annual Shop With a Cop event.
Critical Medical Examiner Choice for Flagler’s District Down to Chief of Palm Beach Office and One of Her Assistants
Dr. Wendolyn Sneed is the Chief medical Examiner for District 15 in Florida, which covers all of Palm Beach County. She is also Dr. Catherine Miller’s boss. Miller is an associate medical examiner. On December 6, Sneed and Miller will be vying for the same job: Chief medical Examiner for District 23, which covers Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties, and is one of the least visible, most consequential jobs in the criminal justice system.
Culinary Course Offered To Inmates at Flagler County Jail Through FTC
The Homeward Bound Initiative (HBI) launched last year in partnership with Flagler Technical College (FTC) now offers a certificate in Culinary/Food Service Management to go along with its current certificate programs in Pre- HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) and Vinyl Graphics Applications.