Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Initiates Two New ProgramsBy Thomas Kelley
Project Lifesaver - The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is now offering the Project Lifesaver Program countywide to families and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's, dementia and autism. These are persons, who through the circumstances of their condition, often wander from their homes. This program works by outfitting the client with a transmitter that can be tracked with receiving equipment that the Sheriff's Office is trained to use. The transmitter is the size of a watch and is fastened on with a very durable band. The cost of the program is $300 and that includes one transmitter, one battery tester, twelve batteries and twelve bands. The batteries are changed by Sheriff's Office personnel every thirty days and require the band to be cut off. The cost of the program after the first year is $70, which pays for another year supply of batteries and bands. Project Lifesaver has been proven to shorten the search time for people on the program which is important since these persons are among our most vulnerable citizens. The Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit staff will manage the program. Sheriff Coats acknowledges that some families and caregivers may not be able to afford the initial fee for the equipment, therefore he has donated $5,000 from the agency's Forfeiture Funds to assist those families. The need assessment will be determined on a case by case basis. Sheriff Coats encourages other citizens or business to partner with the Sheriff's Office in this program by making a donation to Project Lifesaver in order to assist as many clients as possible. Registration for Project Lifesaver is by appointment. For an appointment or for more information, contact the Pinellas Sheriff's Project Lifesaver Program at 727-582-6806 or email at projectlifesaver@pcsonet.com. Sharp - The Sheriff's Alarm Registration Program - Starting July 1, 2009, the Pinellas County Sheriff's office began enforcing the false alarm ordinance approved by the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners earlier this year. The ordinance covers the unincorporated area of Pinellas County and the 12 cities currently under contract with the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. Under the ordinance, home and business owners "shall" register their security alarm systems with the Sheriff's Office. There is no fee to register a home or business alarm system. Alarm subscribers can register online on the Pinellas County Sheriff's website, www.pcsoweb.com, click on the "SHARP" icon. Registration forms have also been distributed to the Sheriff's Administration Building on Ulmerton Rd., the Sheriff's North District Station in Dunedin, the city halls of the 12 contracted cities, and the Pinellas County Courthouse in downtown Clearwater. Alarm subscribers registered with SHARP receive two free passes if they experience two false alarms during the registration year. The Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit will manage "SHARP". For more information, call 727-582-2870 or email sharp@pcsonet.com.
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