Special Operations and Training
 |
| Captain Misty Clendenney Contact Information Bonnie Chesterfield Executive Secretary/Senior Staff Assistant 352-249-2717 |
Specialty Units
Aviation
The primary mission of the Aviation Unit is to support our deputies on the road. Some of our primary duties are to assist with searches for missing/lost individuals, pursuits of wanted subject(s) and surveillance-type activities. The Air Unit is a force multiplier and can conduct a search in a specific area in a quarter of the time it would take ground units to search on foot. We are also called to assist other law enforcement agencies or fire services throughout the state if the need arises.
Specialty Teams
SWAT
S.W.A.T. supports all Citrus County operations by providing rapid response and enhanced capabilities to assist in keeping Citrus County resident’s safe, as well as offering services to other counties when needed. This unit is prepared at any time to deploy personnel and equipment for tactical response, to support warrant service, conduct low visibility counter-surveillance, investigations, and provide enhanced support for special events.
Bomb Team
All members of the Bomb Team are assigned to full-time duties in the agency and respond as needed. The CCSO’s Office Bomb Team responds to a variety of calls including bomb threats, suspicious packages, demolition and disposal of explosives, citizen demonstrations, drug labs, hazardous materials calls, and provides the robot for assistance on SWAT calls.
Crisis Negotiations Team
The Crisis Negotiation Team, or CNT, responds to incidents involving barricaded persons, hostage situations or critical incidents. Team members have regular duty assignments and perform this function above their regular duties. The mission of the CNT is to respond to a situation in order to negotiate a safe and reasonable conclusion. “Resolution through communication” is their motto.
DIVE
The CCSO’s DIVE team, also known as the Underwater Recovery Team, is one of the specialized units within the Special Operations Division. Citrus County is beautifully situated on the west coast of the state and has numerous rivers, lakes, and ponds, as well as numerous other man-made bodies of water within its jurisdiction. The mission of our DIVE team is the recovery of drowning victims, evidence, or anything else which would require entry into one of these bodies of water.
Sheriff’s Posse
The Posse Unit is a valuable asset to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. These volunteers participate in various Citrus County functions such as assisting local and state agencies in the upholding laws; search and rescue missions, representation at city events, and participate in various training opportunities in an effort to enhance their skills and abilities. Posse riders and their horses welcome the opportunity to represent the Sheriff’s Office whenever possible. They take time to answer questions regarding the Posse and most especially, their horses. Horses must be calm and patient, allowing strangers and especially small children, to interact with them while working. Members of this unit are volunteers who own their own horses, and they use their own equipment to care for and transport the animals when needed.
Mobile Response Team
Our Mobile Response Team is a collaborative effort between the various specialty teams, units, and divisions of CCSO. They respond together in a caring and compassionate way to those in crisis or in need of emergency or non-emergency health services anywhere in Citrus County. The intent is to connect individuals with the appropriate services and avoid unnecessary arrest or incarceration.
SMART
The Sheriff's Mutual Aid Response Team (S.M.A.R.T) is a specialized team deployed to respond to emergency law enforcement activities, search and rescue missions, evidence searches, and requests for mutual aid. The members of this team are highly trained and possess a variety of technical skills. This team is available to respond to mutual aid requests throughout Citrus County and the State of Florida on a twenty-four-hour basis. The goal of SMART is to swiftly and safely respond to requests for assistance and support, and coordinate the needed services in a manner that promotes the safety and security of the community.
Mobile Field Force
The Mobile Field Force provides a rapid, organized response to situations requiring a large-scale police presence. Mobile Field Force may be utilized in situations like civil disorder, riots, natural disasters, or cases where crowd control is necessary. Personnel assigned to the Mobile Field Force undergo extensive training in victim rescue, crowd control, problem area isolation, criminal apprehension, and deployment of less lethal and chemical munitions (tear gas, OC spray, etc.). They utilize a variety of protective equipment, including shields, ballistic helmets, etc.
Honor Guard
The Honor Guard Unit is a secondary duty assignment, and members are selected from varying units within the agency. Members are required to maintain the impeccable appearance, high moral standards, and strict order and discipline. The Honor Guard performs funeral honors for Sheriff's Office members killed in the line of duty, as well as for members of other law enforcement agencies when requested. The team proudly represents the Citrus County Sheriff's Office at parades, a variety of ceremonial functions and community events requiring the Presentation of Colors.
Departments
Fleet Management
The Fleet Management Department is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of CCSO’s entire fleet of vehicles and equipment used for day-to-day operations. While a large part of the department’s responsibilities includes maintenance, employees of fleet conduct repairs that occur from traffic accidents, theft, vandalism, and other mishaps.
Domestic Security
The Domestic Security Department is responsible for investigating, collecting, analyzing and disseminating intelligence information concerning criminal activity, international and domestic terrorism, pawn, street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, warrants, inmate telephone monitoring, registered felons and sexual offenders/predators. The department gathers criminal intelligence information for the purpose of tracking and identifying emerging crime patterns and developing enforcement and prevention strategies.
Community Relations (Public Information)
This department serves as the agency liaison to the news media. Personnel in this department are responsible for engagement with members of the press and the dissemination of agency information in an accurate and timely fashion via press conferences, news releases, response to media public records requests, and social media. Efforts are made by this department to establish a positive, professional relationship between the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and various media outlets in an attempt to keep the public informed. Members are also responsible for the coordination of various events throughout the year and managing the agency’s Citizens’ Academy and Speakers Bureau.
Senior Services
Seniors Services is comprised of CCSO’s Volunteer program and senior-related services such as Seniors vs. Crime and our SMILE program. CCSO’s Volunteer program currently has over 400 active volunteers in more than 20 various areas to serve, from Posse to Crime Watch, CERT, Cold Case Unit, and so much more. Seniors vs. Crime is a joint project of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Attorney General’s Office. It is designed to assist people in the community who have been scammed or taken advantage of. SMILE stands for Sheriff’s Memory Impaired Locating Endeavor Service available to any Citrus County residents who have been diagnosed with a memory impairment issue.
Citizens’ Academy
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy is a hands-on, interactive, behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of your Sheriff’s Office. This 12-week educational series of classes is taught by experienced sheriff’s officials who share their unique perspectives on law enforcement. The Citizens’ Academy, which is offered three times a year with both an afternoon and evening class option, even includes two field trips! Best of all – it is free.
Special Projects
The Special Projects Department consists of numerous projects for the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, which may consist of renovation, retrofits, implementation of new programs, research and development, planning, and statistical projections