DUI in Pinellas County, FL

Most DUI arrests in Pinellas County are made by deputies with the sheriff’s office. The jurisdiction of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office covers the fourteen cities under contract with PCSO for primary law enforcement services and all unincorporated areas of the county. PCSO’s jurisdiction covers more than 600 square miles and a population of more than 940,000.

In Pinellas County, FL, the other law enforcement agencies that conduct DUI investigations include the Florida Highway Patrol and the following local police departments:

• Clearwater Police Department
• Indian Shores Police Department
• Kenneth City Police Department
• Largo Police Department
• Pinellas Park Police Department
• St. Petersburg Police Department
• Tarpon Springs Police Department

Officers in these agencies often focus on enforcing DUI laws. These DUI enforcement officers have special training to conduct Field Sobriety Exercises. Some officers are Drug Recognition Evaluators (DRE) or certified DRE Instructors.

Attorney for DUI in Pinellas County, FL

After a DUI arrest, you need an attorney focused on DUI. If you were accused of drunk or impaired driving by a law enforcement officer in Pinellas County, contact an attorney at Sammis Law Firm.

Our attorneys are familiar with the policies and procedures used by the Sheriff’s Office DUI Unit and officers that participate in quarterly multi-jurisdictional county-wide DUI Wolf Pack operations or saturation patrols.

We represent clients after a DUI blood test, breath test, urine test, or refusal to submit to testing. Whether this is your first DUI or a second or subsequent offense, we can help.

Visit our office in Pinellas County at 14010 Roosevelt Blvd #701, Clearwater, FL 33762. We have additional offices in downtown Tampa and New Port Richey. We represent clients charged with DUI in Pasco County, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and Polk County, FL.

Call (727) 210-7004.

DUI Wolf Pack in Pinellas County, FL

Throughout the year, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office focused on enforcing DUI laws and increasing the number of DUI arrests by conducting “DUI Wolf Pack” operations.

During the saturation patrols, Patrol, Community Policing, K-9, and Narcotics deputies are looking for alcohol and drug-impaired drivers. Along with impaired drivers, PCSO deputies look for driver’s license, registration, equipment, and insurance violations.

The Wolf Pack is part of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s ongoing commitment to increasing the number of DUI arrests made in the county. The operations are intended to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage associated with traffic crashes related to impaired driving.

The Wolf Pack aims to educate people and create public awareness about the dangers of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.

In addition to the DUI Wolf Pack, with a grant from FDOT, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has increased the number of deputies on the road during holidays to remove impaired drivers from the roadways. During saturation patrols, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Bus might be used for breath testing and processing arrested individuals.

Agencies in Florida have largely stopped organizing DUI sobriety checkpoints because the courts often find them unconstitutional. Other traffic safety events in Pinellas County include the Road Safety Assessment program, Click it or Ticket, and Back to School Traffic Safety.

PCSO’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit (STEP Unit)

With a full-service traffic enforcement program, PSCO relies on the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Unit (STEP Unit). The STEP Unit has two separate squads, including the following:

• The Traffic Enforcement Unit; and
• The DUI Enforcement Unit.

PCSO’s Traffic Enforcement Unit focuses on traffic-related problems, especially in high-traffic areas such as school zones. The eight-person unit focuses on removing drunk and impaired drivers from the roadways through DUI enforcement. These officers primarily patrol at night and on weekends when the number of DUI incidents is higher.

With fourteen Drug Recognition Experts (DRE), including three certified DRE Instructors, deputies on the PCSO DUI unit receive extra training focused on investigating drunk and impaired driving. All of the PCSO DUI unit deputies are required to complete the Drug Recognition Expert course within the first eighteen months of their assignment on the DUI Unit.

For DREs employed at PCSO, the Sheriff’s Office provides a training program each quarter. The program reviews any modifications or updates to the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP), inspection and replacement of DRE equipment, and evaluations with certified DRE Instructors.

Deputies on the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office DUI Unit help with other community functions, including:

• Student Against Drunk Driving (SADD) Presentations;
• Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy; and
• Pinellas County’s Monthly Victim Impact Panels.

BUI Investigations with the PCSO’s Marine Unit

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office focuses on maintaining safe waterways, especially since the county is surrounded by water on three sides. Boating and water sports are prevalent in the county.

The Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit in Pinellas County helps investigate drunk or impaired boat operators for BUI throughout the county. The deputies on the Marine Unit with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office also work with deputies on the STEP Unit (Traffic Enforcement Unit or DUI Enforcement Unit).

Deputies on the Marine Patrol in Pinellas County also participate in Boating Safety Awareness Campaigns annually.

Recent DUI Enforcement Efforts in Pinellas County

Deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) just released the results of an overnight DUI Wolf Pack in Pinellas County. Press release 19-105 was published on the PCSO website on July 6, 2019. This overnight DUI Wolf Pack operation was conducted county-wide over the 4th of July Holiday Weekend.

During the event, deputies and other law enforcement officers in Pinellas County monitored traffic, looking for civil or criminal violations. The operation began at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 5, 2019, and continued until 5 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2019. The Wolf Pack operation resulted in 41 total misdemeanor and felony charges, including:

• 22 DUI charges
• 7 driving while licenses suspended or revoked (DWLSR) with knowledge charges;
• 6 felony drug charges;
• 2 misdemeanor drug charges;
• 2 other felony charges;
• 1 other misdemeanor charge.

For the entire DUI enforcement operation that weekend, 159 traffic citations were issued.

Officers who participated in the DUI Wolf Pack operation included deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in the Patrol Operations Bureau, STEP Unit, DUI Enforcement Unit, and Traffic Enforcement Unit. Officers with the Florida Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies also participate.

The Pinellas Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) organization provided food and drinks for the law enforcement officers participating in the event. Other non-profit organizations involved in DUI enforcement operations included the Chaplains Outreach Ministries, the Suncoast Safety Council, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.).

Additional Resources

DUI School in Pinellas County – You cannot complete a DUI school online. Instead, you must attend DUI school in the county where you live or work. If you live or work in Pinellas County, FL, you can enroll for DUI school at Suncoast Safety Council with Clearwater and St. Petersburg locations. You can register in person for DUI school with Suncoast Safety Council at one of two (2) locations or complete pre-registration through a secure online service. Level I of the Drug and Alcohol Education Course at Suncoast Safety Council requires twelve (12) hours of classroom instruction over two days. The Level I DUI school also requires an evaluation with possible follow-up treatment, if recommended. The fee for level I DUI school is $296.50, which includes the  State Assessment Fee, a copy of the Florida lifetime driving record, and the Driver Risk Inventory questionnaire.

Contact Information:

MADD Honors DUI Enforcement with Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office – In a blog article dated May 28, 2019, MADD highlights the top honorees from the recognition ceremony in 2018. Sergeant Mike Eastty, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, was nominated for “Outstanding Dedication to DUI Enforcement and Prevention.” Learn more about the MADD title for the top honorees in DUI enforcement and prevention. The award recognizes efforts to combat impaired and drunk driving.