Crime & Safety

Sheriff Calls for Unified Pasco

Criminals don't care about city limits and ZIP codes, officials say.

The in Pasco County may have historical roots, but it’s time to set them aside, said Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Addressing members of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club on Monday, Sept. 12, Nocco said law enforcement agencies and residents throughout the county need to work together to tackle crime.

“Criminals don’t know any boundaries,” he said. “Criminals don’t care what ZIP code or area code you’re in.”

Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With that in mind, Nocco’s agency has been working with others throughout the county to share intelligence about crime on a regular basis. The county’s with New Port Richey’s to provide better overall coverage, Nocco said.

Through , the agency is also concentrating its efforts on more strategic coverage of crime hot spots in the county. The idea is to root out career criminals and to deploy forces where they are critically needed.

Find out what's happening in Land O' Lakeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Six percent of the criminals commit 60 percent of the crimes," Nocco told Rotary members.

Concerning Issues

Pasco County is facing a number of pressing law enforcement issues, Nocco said, that require a full county effort tamp down on.

is a major issue that’s affecting the county from one end to the other.

“We’re number two in the state for (pill-related) deaths,” he said. “(And), we’re number two for babies being born addicted. If we don’t stop this epidemic now, we’re not going to have (a next generation), they’re all going to be addicts.”

While big crimes such as prescription pill sales are pressing, Nocco said the small issues aren’t flying under the radar in Pasco. His deputies are placing an emphasis on everything from cracking down on panhandling to citing unlicensed contractors.

“I want that mentality — you don’t commit a crime in Pasco County,” he said.

Get Involved

Residents can get involved in helping the sheriff’s office crack down on crime by keeping their eyes and ears open, Nocco said. The agency is also looking for feedback on priorities for the sheriff’s office.

Anyone can voice their opinion about priorities by taking an online survey available on the sheriff's office website. The results will be used to help put together a five-year strategic plan for the agency. Nocco hopes to have this ready in February.

Residents can also get more involved by reporting crimes. The sheriff’s office has an anonymous tip form on its website.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Land O' Lakes