Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SSO) is the primary law enforcement agency for Sarasota County, Florida. The agency is responsible for law enforcement services in unincorporated areas of Sarasota County, jail facilities, and courthouse security for Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit. SSO also operates Public Safety Communications (PSC), the county's primary 911 center. History The sheriff's office was established in 1921 upon the creation of Sarasota County from the southern portion of Manatee County. Florida Governor Cary A. Hardee appointed Burna Dale "Heinie" Levi as the first sheriff of Sarasota County that year on July 1, 1921. On August 22, 1921, Sarasota city marshal L.D. Hodges became the agency's first deputy. Hodges would later become elected as sheriff in 1922 as Levi decided not to run in the general election that year. He would begin his tenure in December 1922. A sheriff's deputy would be arrested once under charges of having assaulted an African American man named Robert Walthau with his gun and baton on October 23, 1926. The deputy would say he had asked Walthau if he was working and offered him a job unloading some trucks. Walthau would say that this was none of his business and the deputy responded back saying that he should treat him with my more respect because he was white. Mayor Bacon of Sarasota would have no comment when asked by a reporter from the Sarasota Herald but Sheriff Hodges would respond by saying that an investigation would be done and would suspend the deputy if necessary. Between October 18-23, 1926 the Bob Morton Circus would help the Ku Klux Klan hold an event in Sarasota and it is possible that the deputy was encouraged by this. Sheriff Hodges would end up losing in the Democratic primary on June 5, 1928, to W. Albert Keen. Keen would begin his tenure on January 8, 1929. Three months into his tenure he would get shot along with Special Deputy Walter Whitted while doing a gambling raid in Laurel. Both of them would go to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Keen ended up getting an amputation on his right leg. He would resume his duties as sheriff in June 1929 and he would continue to serve until he lost a run-off election to Clem Pearson, a former Sarasota Police Department officer and Pearson was sworn in on January 3, 1933.