Coalition Continues Efforts to Impact Public Safety by Targeting Violent Offenders

This marijuana “grow house” was discovered during a compliance check.

CENTRAL FLORIDA – Law enforcement agencies from Volusia, Seminole and Orange Counties, including state and county probation officers, staged a three-county sweep beginning in the wee hours of Tuesday, May 12, 2009 to serve outstanding warrants and make contact with felony offenders. A total of eight active warrants were served on offenders who had violated probation. In addition, 26 offenders were taken into custody for violations or criminal behavior that was discovered during the sweep. The operation resulted in the seizure of weapons, narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and counterfeit money, in addition to the arrests. 

Teams of law enforcement and probation officers made home visits to over 304   felony offenders on probation.  These team home visits included making contact with each offender, conducting a status check and a walk-through of the offenders’ residences. As anticipated, most contacts resulted in offenders being in place and abiding by the law; those who were not were taken into custody. These visits send a strong message to offenders that law enforcement is unified and working together in the community to provide support for offenders abiding by the conditions of their probation and swift “enforcement” for those who continue to break the law.

Originally, these multi-agency, multi-county operations were conducted through a grant funded by the Department of Justice that recently ended.  However, the success of the grant-funded operations led to strong support and partnerships between Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and police departments throughout the tri-county area.

This warrant and offender contact sweep was conducted during the early morning hours on May 12, 2009 and resulted in the seizure of: two firearms; $6760 in cash; 63.5 grams of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of marijuana; a large quantity of assorted drug paraphernalia; counterfeit U.S. currency and various prescription narcotics. 

Details by county:

Orange County: 

• 105 offender contacts
• 13 law enforcement teams involved
• 12 offender arrests
• Contraband seized:  41 grams of Marijuana, 4 hydrocodone pills

A total of $5,351 in cash was seized at this location in Seminole County, along with one pound of marijuana, two firearms, and drug paraphernalia during a compliance check.

Seminole County: 

• 61  offender contacts
• 10   law enforcement teams involved
• 16  offender arrests
• Contraband seized: More than one pound of Marijuana, $6,760 in cash seized, Steroids, two firearms, several different rounds of ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and 13 Counterfeit $20 bills.

Volusia County: 

• 149  offender contacts
•  9  law enforcement teams involved
•  2 offender arrests 
• Contraband seized:  63.5 grams of Cocaine, drug paraphernalia which included: a pipepush rod, syringe, and a shakes rolling machine.    

Additional arrests and recovered items are expected over the next few days, pending further investigation and warrants.

 Participating Agencies:

VOLUSIA COUNTY Daytona Beach Police Department Daytona Beach Shores, Public Safety South Daytona Beach Police Department Ormond Beach Police Department Deland Police Department New Smyrna Beach Police Department Volusia County Sheriff's Office   ORANGE COUNTY   Orange County Sheriff's Office Orlando Police Department Winter Park Police Department Florida Department of Law Enforcement Eatonville Police Department Maitland Police Department University of Central Florida Police Department

SEMINOLE COUNTY Altamonte Springs Police Department Lake Mary Police Department Oviedo Police Department Winter Springs Police Department Casselberry Police Department Longwood Police Department Sanford Police Department Seminole County Sheriff's Office Seminole County Department of Community Service  Florida Department of Law Enforcement  DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS 7th Circuit Community Corrections – Volusia County 9th Circuit Community Corrections – Orange County 18th Circuit Community Corrections – Seminole County

Reporters interested in additional details may call Department of Corrections Public Affairs Director Gretl Plessinger at (850) 488-0420.