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Highlands Today

Sheriff's Strategic Plan

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

From left: Crime Prevention Specialist Nell Hays speaks to Captain Randy LaBelle with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office about local gangs during a lunch break while at South Florida Community College for the Annual Strategic Plan Meeting.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: February 21, 2009

SEBRING - Sheriff Susan Benton gave a report on what the Highlands County Sheriff's Office has accomplished in the past and asked for ways to prepare for the future at Friday's annual strategic plan meeting.

The three-year strategic plan for the fiscal years 2006-2009 encompassed five goals, which were creating safer neighborhoods, enhancing the safety of Highlands County roadways, assuring agency and individual accountability, providing a professional work environment and assuring effective court and detention security and services.

Under each of these were a number of objectives that would ensure the goals were met. Benton said Friday that, out of 105 objectives, 98 have thus far been completed.

"The thanks and congratulations go to our staff, who are absolutely committed to what they do," Benton said. "I commend you, because this report card has got a great grade and it's because you earned your A."

The meeting was then turned over to suggestions from the audience on how to possibly reshape the sheriff's office's vision, mission and goals.

That mission states that the HCSO is "committed to protecting life, property and individual rights while maintaining peace and order. An audience suggestion was that the statement was too passive.

It was suggested that the wording possibly be changed to say "actively maintaining peace and order."

Sam Bliss, president of the Placid Lakes Home Owners Association, would like to see the goal of enhancing Highlands County roadways be enhanced itself to include areas where cars and trucks are not traveling, such as parks and walking or bike trails.

He feels this broader goal would go toward the monitoring of things such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

"ATVs tear up the environment," Bliss said. "There are other areas of Highlands County that are not roads. Roadways, to me, mean streets."

Strategic planning has allowed the sheriff's office to establish its preferred future, ensure consistency and clarity of purpose throughout the organization and provide the foundation for a working relationship between residents, public safety partners and private sector entities, according to information presented at Friday's meeting, held at the University Center of South Florida Community College.

"It's also important for us to know our community and where the trends are," Benton said.

In the community of Highlands County, the sheriff's office has the most ground to cover.

The county population in 2008 was 100,207, which was a significant jump from the 92,057 recorded in 2004.

Of the 2008 population, 77.51 percent live in the unincorporated area, where deputies patrol and monitor. Sebring has 10.49 percent, Avon Park has 9.08 percent and Lake Placid has 1.78 percent.

"Our demand for services is much higher," Benton said.

The sheriff added that the crime rate has been going down over the past 10 years, even though the number of calls has been on the rise.

That increase, according to Maj. Mark Schrader, is due in part to the use of the SMARTCOPS system starting in 2006. The system captures all computer-aided dispatch (CAD) calls.

In 2004, the HCSO received 36,316 calls for service. By 2008, the number climbed to 118,911.

"With the economic times we're in, our calls for service will probably increase," Schrader said.

Dr. Jim Sewell, who was one of the speakers at Friday's workshop, said Highlands County is following a statewide trend that is seeing major crimes like murder, rape and robbery going down.

"You all are doing a good job," Sewell said.

Benton used as an example a recent arrest of an individual with a long history of narcotics offenses, breaking and entering and theft. The sheriff's office had received word this person was at it again.

"We set up our own little operation for him to come and take advantage of, which he did, and he went to jail," Benton said.

Capt. Randy LaBelle said the suspect was Christopher Huter, 33, who was charged with trafficking, grand theft and violation of probation.

LaBelle said they began looking at the suspect in connection with alleged thefts he committed while doing handyman work at local residences.

As part of the operation, a villa was rented and filled with jewelry, controlled substances and $1,500 in cash, according to LaBelle. Cameras were also placed inside the room and Huter was called to come out and repair some appliances.

"He went right to rummaging through the cabinets," LaBelle said.

The suspect allegedly took $1,000 in cash and 14 pills, with investigators watching the activity via the cameras, according to LaBelle.

Huter was reportedly on felony probation for seven prior burglaries, which expires on Aug. 6, 2008, the arrest report stated.

"He's been doing this for a while," LaBelle said.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863- 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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