Law Enforcement Communication and Information Release

Personnel and Communication

• Personnel using non-transitory text messaging for Sheriff's Office business must screenshot all sent and received text messages.
• Transitory messages are those created primarily to communicate short-term information and do not include substantive information.

Information Release

• Investigative information can only be released by the Public Affairs Officer or supervisory personnel responsible for the investigation, in compliance with legal requirements.
• Information that can be released to the media includes the amount and type of property taken, including estimated value, and names, addresses, and booking photographs of juveniles taken into custody for a felony offense.

Disciplinary Review Board

• The Disciplinary Review Board consists of a Department Commander as chairperson, Commanders of remaining Departments, Chief Legal Counsel or representative, District/Division Commander of the person under review, and a representative from the Professional Standards Section.

Accidents and Injuries

• An accident is any incident in which an employee's injury cannot be classified as first aid under the Florida Workers' Compensation Statutes, or an accident resulting in property damage estimated at $100 or more.
• Leave without pay for rehabilitation shall not exceed 90 days without specific permission of the Sheriff.

Drug Testing and Evaluation

• Employees must report to the specified Collection Site within one hour of notification and remain for no more than 3 hours to provide a urine sample.
• The Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) requires supervisors to ensure the entire evaluation process is finalized within 5 days prior to the affected employee's review date.

Benefits and Compensation

• Benefits include language incentives (100−100-100−150 per month), hazard pay (150permonth),HonorGuard(150 per month), Honor Guard (150permonth),HonorGuard(125 per month), and Master's degree incentives ($250 per month).
• Cell phone stipends range from 25to25 to 25to65 per month.

Travel Time and Leave

• Travel time is not paid for events within Hillsborough County, except for off-duty court appearances, workers' compensation doctors' appointments, depositions, or emergency call-outs.
• Employees have 30 days to report duty-related injuries.

Workers' Compensation

• Up to 30 minutes of travel time to and from medical appointments can be considered time worked.
• Sworn personnel on light duty assignments must take a non-compensated meal/rest break of at least 30 minutes.

Traumatic Events and Support

• Traumatic events require referral to a psychological professional within 72 hours of the incident.
• The scene commander of a major incident can determine the need for demobilization services.

Leave and Family Medical Leave

• Short-term leave is available for up to 24 weeks, while Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave is available for up to 12 weeks (504 hours for 84-hour period employees).

Juvenile Runaways and Referrals

• Juvenile runaways aged 12 or older who have been reported as runaways three times within a year can be referred to the Children's Services Act (CSA).

Hospitals and Medical Facilities

• Tampa General Hospital is designated as D2, while St. Joseph's Hospital is designated as D3.
• James A. Haley Veterans Hospital is subject to FBI investigation for theft or destruction of government property, and local or state law violations are investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Fire Reports and Investigations

• Fire reports are initiated if the fire results in death or serious injury, is intentional or suspicious, or undetermined per the Fire Marshall.

Child Abuse and Elderly Referrals

• Reports shall be initiated if a child aged 5 or younger requires NARCAN or AED administration.
• Elderly referrals apply to individuals aged 60 or older who suffer from mental or physical incapacitations.

Sexting and Online Crimes

• Sexting is considered a non-criminal offense for the first incident, a first-degree misdemeanor for the second incident, and a third-degree felony for the third incident.

Citizen Self-Reporting

• Citizens aged 18 or older can self-report non-emergency incidents that are not in progress and do not pose an immediate danger.

Firearms and Vehicle Crashes

• Lost firearms cannot be reported online.
• Non-reportable vehicle crashes are those resulting in less than $500 in damage and no injuries.

Forfeiture and Seizure

• Forfeiture applies to items seized in connection with narcotics activity, instrumentalities of a felony, or items acquired with proceeds violating the Forfeiture Act.
• Currency seized must be transported to Evidence with a deputy following the collector.

Hepatitis and Blood-Borne Pathogens

• Hepatitis B vaccine is available within 10 days of exposure.
• A 2-step PPD test is required for new hires to test for TB.

Marchman Act and Baker Act

• Marchman Act subjects can be taken to the Addiction Receiving Center (ARC) if below the threshold for Marchman Act commitment.
• Juveniles at risk of arrest but not meeting Marchman Act criteria can be brought to the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC).

Return of Firearms

• Firearms seized or surrendered must be available for return within 24 hours if the person is no longer subject to involuntary examination or has been discharged from treatment.

Panic Alarms and Holdup Alarms

• Panic alarms are designated as 492, while robbery/holdup alarms are designated as 490.

Pursuits and Traffic Crashes

• Pursuits shall not be initiated for traffic, burglary of a conveyance, or auto theft.
• A pursuit critique shall be held within 48 hours of the incident.

Truancy and Chronic Truancy

• Truant students aged 6-15 can be taken to their parents or school.
• Chronic truants are defined as students with five or more unexcited absences in a calendar year or ten or more unexcited absences in a 90-day period.

Juveniles and APAD

• Juveniles arrested for drug offenses can be taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC).
• APAD (Alternative to Prosecution for Adults on Drugs) eligibility requirements include no prior DUI, misdemeanor, or felony convictions, and no arrests for misdemeanors in the last two years.

Personnel and Communication

• Personnel using non-transitory text messaging for Sheriff's Office business must screenshot all sent and received text messages.
• Transitory messages are those created primarily to communicate short-term information and do not include substantive information.

Information Release

• Investigative information can only be released by the Public Affairs Officer or supervisory personnel responsible for the investigation, in compliance with legal requirements.
• Information that can be released to the media includes the amount and type of property taken, including estimated value, and names, addresses, and booking photographs of juveniles taken into custody for a felony offense.

Disciplinary Review Board

• The Disciplinary Review Board consists of a Department Commander as chairperson, Commanders of remaining Departments, Chief Legal Counsel or representative, District/Division Commander of the person under review, and a representative from the Professional Standards Section.

Accidents and Injuries

• An accident is any incident in which an employee's injury cannot be classified as first aid under the Florida Workers' Compensation Statutes, or an accident resulting in property damage estimated at $100 or more.
• Leave without pay for rehabilitation shall not exceed 90 days without specific permission of the Sheriff.

Drug Testing and Evaluation

• Employees must report to the specified Collection Site within one hour of notification and remain for no more than 3 hours to provide a urine sample.
• The Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) requires supervisors to ensure the entire evaluation process is finalized within 5 days prior to the affected employee's review date.

Benefits and Compensation

• Benefits include language incentives (100−100-100−150 per month), hazard pay (150permonth),HonorGuard(150 per month), Honor Guard (150permonth),HonorGuard(125 per month), and Master's degree incentives ($250 per month).
• Cell phone stipends range from 25to25 to 25to65 per month.

Travel Time and Leave

• Travel time is not paid for events within Hillsborough County, except for off-duty court appearances, workers' compensation doctors' appointments, depositions, or emergency call-outs.
• Employees have 30 days to report duty-related injuries.

Workers' Compensation

• Up to 30 minutes of travel time to and from medical appointments can be considered time worked.
• Sworn personnel on light duty assignments must take a non-compensated meal/rest break of at least 30 minutes.

Traumatic Events and Support

• Traumatic events require referral to a psychological professional within 72 hours of the incident.
• The scene commander of a major incident can determine the need for demobilization services.

Leave and Family Medical Leave

• Short-term leave is available for up to 24 weeks, while Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave is available for up to 12 weeks (504 hours for 84-hour period employees).

Juvenile Runaways and Referrals

• Juvenile runaways aged 12 or older who have been reported as runaways three times within a year can be referred to the Children's Services Act (CSA).

Hospitals and Medical Facilities

• Tampa General Hospital is designated as D2, while St. Joseph's Hospital is designated as D3.
• James A. Haley Veterans Hospital is subject to FBI investigation for theft or destruction of government property, and local or state law violations are investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Fire Reports and Investigations

• Fire reports are initiated if the fire results in death or serious injury, is intentional or suspicious, or undetermined per the Fire Marshall.

Child Abuse and Elderly Referrals

• Reports shall be initiated if a child aged 5 or younger requires NARCAN or AED administration.
• Elderly referrals apply to individuals aged 60 or older who suffer from mental or physical incapacitations.

Sexting and Online Crimes

• Sexting is considered a non-criminal offense for the first incident, a first-degree misdemeanor for the second incident, and a third-degree felony for the third incident.

Citizen Self-Reporting

• Citizens aged 18 or older can self-report non-emergency incidents that are not in progress and do not pose an immediate danger.

Firearms and Vehicle Crashes

• Lost firearms cannot be reported online.
• Non-reportable vehicle crashes are those resulting in less than $500 in damage and no injuries.

Forfeiture and Seizure

• Forfeiture applies to items seized in connection with narcotics activity, instrumentalities of a felony, or items acquired with proceeds violating the Forfeiture Act.
• Currency seized must be transported to Evidence with a deputy following the collector.

Hepatitis and Blood-Borne Pathogens

• Hepatitis B vaccine is available within 10 days of exposure.
• A 2-step PPD test is required for new hires to test for TB.

Marchman Act and Baker Act

• Marchman Act subjects can be taken to the Addiction Receiving Center (ARC) if below the threshold for Marchman Act commitment.
• Juveniles at risk of arrest but not meeting Marchman Act criteria can be brought to the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC).

Return of Firearms

• Firearms seized or surrendered must be available for return within 24 hours if the person is no longer subject to involuntary examination or has been discharged from treatment.

Panic Alarms and Holdup Alarms

• Panic alarms are designated as 492, while robbery/holdup alarms are designated as 490.

Pursuits and Traffic Crashes

• Pursuits shall not be initiated for traffic, burglary of a conveyance, or auto theft.
• A pursuit critique shall be held within 48 hours of the incident.

Truancy and Chronic Truancy

• Truant students aged 6-15 can be taken to their parents or school.
• Chronic truants are defined as students with five or more unexcited absences in a calendar year or ten or more unexcited absences in a 90-day period.

Juveniles and APAD

• Juveniles arrested for drug offenses can be taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC).
• APAD (Alternative to Prosecution for Adults on Drugs) eligibility requirements include no prior DUI, misdemeanor, or felony convictions, and no arrests for misdemeanors in the last two years.