By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that the Pasco County Sheriff recently sent out what appears to be hundreds of four-page letters threatening police harassment of Pasco County residents who have had past trouble with the law?
In the recently sent letter, it reads in part, “We are committed to your success, we are also committed to pursuing consistent, firm, and fair consequences if you continue in the criminal behavior that is not only hurtful to you, but to your family and our community.” Later, the letter continues, “As a result of this designation, we will go to great efforts to encourage change in your life through enhanced support and increased accountability.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times which first investigated this story, they found that the Pasco County Sheriff has a separate program the looks at and uses school children’s grades, attendance records and abuse histories to label children as “potential future criminals.”
However, the Pasco County Sheriff, Chris Nocco has not explained to any members of the media how targeting children, or their grades is a predictor of future criminal activities.