On Siesta Key, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office would rather greet a crowd before it becomes a problem than break one up afterward.
A proactive approach is central to the work of a dedicated Sheriff’s Office unit assigned to the island, where deputies rely on familiarity, visibility and early intervention to address problems before they escalate.
Sgt. Daniel Smith, who manages the Sheriff’s Office community policing unit covering the public beaches, discussed the unit’s work during the Sept. 3 meeting of the Siesta Key Association. SKA President Catherine Luckner introduced Smith, who provided a monthly crime report — as he does each month — before fielding broader questions about policing on the Key.
Smith said seven members of the community policing unit are stationed on Siesta Key, with deputies working overlapping schedules throughout the week and evening coverage extending into nighttime hours. The unit’s office is at Siesta Beach.
Unlike deputies who rotate through different areas of the county, Smith said his unit works on the island every day.
“We get to know people. We get to know the location,” Smith said. “We get to know where the kids go, where they don’t want to go. Problem times, problem holidays.”
Some members have spent four to six years assigned to the Key, he said, while others are newer to the unit.
The community policing deputies, generally identifiable by their white uniform shirts and often seen patrolling on four-wheel vehicles, work alongside regular Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies assigned to the geographic zone that includes Siesta Key. Smith said the community policing unit focuses in part on addressing problems specific to the island and working directly with the community.
One example is the agency’s approach to large groups of young people gathering at beach accesses.
Smith pointed to a troubled Memorial Day several years ago when a large, rapidly organized crowd descended on Beach Access 2 and a shooting occurred. Since then, he said, the unit has adjusted its tactics to emphasize getting deputies in place before large gatherings become established.
“We are trying to be out there before the crowd happens,” Smith said.
Social media tips can play an important role. Smith said parents and other community members have forwarded information when they learn that young people are planning what he described as a “teen takeover,” a viral social media trend in which large groups of teenagers gather quickly at a particular location and time.
The advance notice allows deputies to be present when groups begin arriving. Smith said participants sometimes send people ahead to determine whether law enforcement is there.
His message when that happens is simple: “Not today, not here.”
Another issue prompting extensive education and enforcement involves high-powered electric motorcycles, sometimes mistakenly described as e-bikes.
Smith said the vehicles at issue are capable of speeds approaching those of conventional motorcycles and are not street-legal bicycles simply because they are battery-powered. Deputies initially concentrated heavily on educating young riders and their parents.
The Sheriff’s Office traffic unit also conducted a multiweek effort that included working with schools and the school district. Smith described the approach as progressing from education to enforcement.
On Siesta Key, deputies sometimes contacted parents and had them retrieve their children and the vehicles. Other vehicles were towed. Smith said the electric motorcycles he was discussing cannot legally be operated on public streets, sidewalks or bike lanes and are restricted to private property.
The activity has declined significantly, Smith said, although he acknowledged it could return.
Residents who see groups of electric motorcycles being ridden aggressively or creating problems should not attempt to stop the riders themselves. Smith encouraged people to report the activity to law enforcement, particularly if groups begin appearing again in the Village or elsewhere on the Key.
The unit also makes contact with people experiencing homelessness and can connect them with the Sheriff’s Office homeless outreach team. Smith said outreach can include help obtaining identification documents, housing assistance and other services. He said homelessness is not currently a major issue on the island.
Smith also explained that calls do not have to involve a major crime to generate a law enforcement response. When a nonemergency call is entered, deputies assigned to Siesta Key can receive it through their computer system and respond after completing any higher-priority assignments.
For an emergency or a situation requiring an immediate law enforcement response, call 911. For nonemergency issues, including suspicious activity or recurring problems residents want deputies to investigate, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office nonemergency number is 941-316-1201.
