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Pinellas
County Justice Coordination |
The mission of the Department of Justice and
Consumer Services: Office of Justice Coordination
is to provide a high level of research and
development expertise, including monitoring
and evaluation of present and future justice
programs within Pinellas County, to insure
that the citizens of Pinellas receive the
highest quality justice and public safety
services for the resources provided.
The Office of Justice Coordination was formed
in 2003 from the Department of Justice Coordination
during a merger with the Department of Consumer
Protection. The Board of County Commissioners
created the Department of Justice Coordination
on May 7, 1991. The history extends back
to 1982 when the Chief Judge of the Circuit
created
the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
This council was composed of the State Attorney,
the Chief Judge, the chief criminal administrative
judge, the Sheriff, and the police chiefs
from the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
On December 5, 1983, the staff director for
this council started work with space and
secretarial
support provided by the Sheriff and salary
provided by Pinellas County through the office
of the Chief Judge. One year later, the Office
of Justice Planning was created by the court
with its own budget, space, and authority.
The emphasis of the office and of the council
was to coordinate research and planning
to increase the effectiveness and efficiency
of the justice system. Several major programs
were accomplished including the development
of a uniform incident report for law enforcement,
the first court security programs, a nationally
recognized program for in-jail mental health,
and a more efficient and humane program
for
the examination of sexual assault victims.
In 1987, the Office of Justice Planning
published one of the first comprehensive
criminal justice
master plans in the state. One year later,
the Office was given the task of developing
a coordinated response to the 1988 Anti-Drug
Abuse Act. In 1991, following the submission
of recommendations generated by the National
Center for State Courts, the Board of County
Commissioners elevated the Office to departmental
status, transferred existing employees
from the court to the county administrator.
Office Contacts
-
Tim Burns, Director
- Vivian Sierchio, Justice Programs Coordinator
Justice
Coordination Service Areas
Contracts
The Office of Justice Coordination maintains
oversight of more than fifty (50) justice
related contracts. These contracts include
areas such as law enforcement services,
substance abuse, domestic violence, jail
diversion
programs, juvenile justice, child protection,
collaborative projects, and public safety.
The office performs ongoing monitoring
of several of these contracts, such as
Medical
Examiner’s Services, Forensic Laboratory
Services, Help a Child, Pinellas Juvenile
Assessment Center, and others.
Committees
Justice Coordination staff serves as the county
liaison on approximately thirty(30) committees
and task forces. The office facilitates a
number of county-wide meetings including
the Substance Abuse Advisory Board, Enforcer
Steering Committee, Pinellas County Data
Collaborative, and Law Enforcement Information
Sharing and Analysis Committee.
Public Awareness
Citizens can access our monthly informational
program, Justice Served on Channel 18 Public
Access or through the web at (this should
be a link to communications).
Funding
The Office of Justice Coordination serves as
a conduit to manage federal, state, and local
funding directed towards public safety initiatives.
Some of this funding includes programs such
as the Juvenile Assessment Center, Juvenile
Detention Center, and Drug Court. Along with
the direct funding, the office administers
grant funding programs for Pinellas County
Sheriff’s Office Grant Applications, Edward
Byrne Memorial Grants, Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Trust Fund, Jail Diversion Grant, as well
as other agencies.
Projects
The Office of Justice Coordination provides
research and project coordination on issues
that impact Pinellas County. These projects
include specialty analyses, county-wide issue
coordination, agency collaboration, and much
more.
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