Juvenile Crime Enforcement And Intervention

This division is responsible for providing an array of services to promote a concentrated agency-wide focus on juvenile crime prevention and intervention

Juvenile Assessment Center

The Seminole County Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) is a collaborative effort between the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Seminole County Public Schools, the Office of the State's Attorney and social service agencies, with the Sheriff's Office providing managerial and security staff. The JAC operates on a twenty-four hour, seven day a week basis and serves as a central receiving point for all juveniles who have been arrested for delinquent offenses or detained on non-criminal violations in Seminole County (i.e. runaways/truants). The objectives of the JAC are to reduce the amount of time law enforcement officers must deal with offenders and to provide a secure environment where assessments may be are administered to determine how the juveniles will be referred into the criminal justice system (detained for prosecution, released with referral to social service agency, etc.).

Contact number (407) 665-2400

Seminole Truancy Alternative for Youth (STAY)

Project STAY is located in the non-secure area of the Seminole County Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) and is a central drop off point for law enforcement who have detained truant youth. The program is run by Seminole County Public Schools and is responsible for evaluating truant youth to assure that underlying causes of the truancy are identified. This information is used to refer truants back to their home schools or to appropriate services based on a youth's individualized need.

Contact number (407) 665-2400

Youth Educational Services Unit

The DARE (Drug, Alcohol, Resistance Education) Initiative

DARE is a ten week program instituted in 1991 that is available to all public school fifth graders in Seminole County. The DARE curriculum is taught in all Seminole County public schools and in three private schools. Students are taught about the harmful effects of drugs on their bodies, families and relationships. Daren the Lion is the DARE Officer's mascot and represents the courage that young people need to resist drugs and violence. The program culminates in a DARE graduation that celebrates the success of the DARE graduates.

Sgt. Dwayne Johnson, (407) 708-7670

Police Athletic League

The Police Athletic League demonstrates the viability of law enforcement and the community working together for the benefit of Seminole County youth. The League is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Sheriff's Office to provide proactive youth programs throughout Seminole County. The goal of P.A.L. is to prevent juvenile delinquency through positive role modeling, enhancement of self-esteem and the development of positive moral values through wholesome competition.

The Seminole County Police Athletic League Spring and Summer Camps follows the Seminole County Public Schools calendar for these two breaks. The camp is staffed with Seminole County Sheriff's Office DARE and School Resource Deputies. We continue life skills lessons throughout the summer along with bowling, roller skating, movies, ice skating, arts & crafts, indoor games, outdoor games, and theme park excursions such as Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, Sea World, etc. Our mission is to build positive relationships between law enforcement and children, while providing a safe place for them to play during the summer.

There is a registration fee to holds a child's spot for the program, and then a weekly cost, Parents only pay for the weeks their children attend. This allows the parents to plan FAMILY vacations without feeling they are being penalized by having to pay the weekly fee. We encourage parents to spend time with their kids without having to pay us to do it. Parents get the option of choosing what weeks they want to send their children, with the security of knowing they are with deputies all day. We open at 7am and close at 6pm. We also sub-contract elementary school teachers, college students and high school students to work with the kids as counselors.

Contact Sgt. Dwayne Johnson (407) 708-7670

Midway Safe Harbor

This program provides an after school safe location for school age children, where they can participate in both educational and recreational programs.

D/S Darrell Anderson, (407) 320-5998

Explorer Post 517 (Youth Deputy Unit)

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office Youth Deputy Unit is co-sponsored with the Boy Scouts of America Police Explorer Program and Seminole County PAL. It is the intent of the program to promote community service and law enforcement career exploration through training and hands-on interaction. The Post is open to teenagers entering the 9th grade through 20 years of age.

Founded in the late 1960's, Explorer Post 517 is the Sheriff's Office oldest community relations program. Explorers are trained in arrest techniques, leadership, crime scene investigation, traffic control, fingerprinting, traffic stops and enforcement procedures. They are permitted to ride with deputy sheriffs to gain first-hand experience in law enforcement, participate on a pistol team that attends statewide competitions, and join an Honor Guard that represents the Sheriff's Office at parades and other ceremonial events.

Sgt. Dwayne Johnson (407) 708-7670.

Sheriff's Jr. Cadets

The Sheriff's Jr. Cadet program is a sub-program of the Explorers and is co-sponsored by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Seminole County PAL. The program is open for children from 6th grade to 8th grade. Like its big brother, Cadets are taught the importance of community partnerships with law enforcement by participating in community service events throughout the county. They are also trained in aspects of law enforcement by way of guest speakers and training. Although the Cadets do not compete at the Explorer level, training is provided to prepare them for competition at a later time.

Sgt. Dwayne Johnson (407) 708-7670

Youth Services Prevention and Enforcement Center

Intensive Community Supervision Unit

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office Intensive Community Supervision Unit is a partnership between the Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Teams of specially trained deputy sheriffs and juvenile probation officers provide continuous intensive community-based supervision for high-risk juveniles on probation or conditional release. Individualized supervision along with a "Zero Tolerance" policy on violations provides immediate accountability to youth and removes the feeling that the youth are just anonymous faces in the crowd.

The program also provides supervision to juveniles placed on community control and interacting with them (and their parents) to facilitate completion of their court-ordered sanctions. This includes assisting juveniles with the enhancement of various life skills.

Sgt. Chris Stronko or Catherine Stimpert at (407) 708-7640.

Sheriff's Work Ethic and Training (Project SWEAT)

Project SWEAT (Sheriff's Work Ethics and Training) is a unit of the Division of Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Intervention of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. It is funded by the State of Florida, Department of Juvenile Justice. Project SWEAT is a highly structured environment designed to provide immediate consequences to youth who are on probation or conditional release and are court ordered to complete supervised community service hours. Youth report to Project SWEAT on Saturdays and are supervised by specially trained Sheriff's Office personnel as the youth complete eight hours of labor-intensive, meaningful community service work throughout the various communities in Seminole County.

Pat Chandler (407) 708-7643.

Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit

The Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit is a unit of the Division of Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Intervention of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. It is funded by the State of Florida, Department of Juvenile Justice. Prior to the unit's existence, youth would violate probation today and may see the court within 6-8 weeks or longer. Many times the youth would not even remember why they were there. Now, youth arrested today, go to court tomorrow and report to the unit on the following day. This provides immediate accountability to youth in violation of probation or conditional release. Youth complete five hours of educational instruction and seven hours of labor-intensive community service under the supervision of specially trained Sheriff's Office personnel. Youth may receive up to five days for the first violation and up to fifteen days for each violation thereafter.

Pat Chandler (407) 708-7643.

Operation Right Track

Operation Right Track is a 2-day drill academy for at-risk youth, males and females, between the ages of 10 to 17. The first day, specially trained teams of drill instructors create an atmosphere fostering discipline and accountability. Physical exercise and classroom instruction are combined to make a meaningful impact over a short period of time. Topics covered include the 12 Keys of Character and Decisions and Consequences. The day includes a tour of the John E. Polk Correctional Facility where an inmate speaks to the youth about how making bad choices has affected his(r) life. Parents are required to attend an hour-and-a-half parenting session the same day the child attends. Parents are educated on parenting skills as well as what do if a child continues to act out. The second day, usually held the following Saturday, is an 8-hour interactive session involving both the youth and the parents that focuses on developing long-term family communication and problem solving skills and is facilitated by Adolescent Life Coaching Center. In addition, children attending Seminole County Public Schools with school resource deputies or officers receiving a face-to-face contact with the school resource deputy or officer once a week for six weeks during the regular school year while school is in session. Intern social workers may be utilized to conduct assessments and refer families to appropriate social service agencies.

Bernard Johns (407) 708-7647.

Graffiti Abatement

Graffiti Abatement is a proactive approach to maintaining and improving the quality of life throughout Seminole County. Citizens and law enforcement report graffiti to Graffiti Abatement when it is discovered within the county by calling the contact number below. Juveniles from the Consequence Unit or Project SWEAT are dispatched to the location to remove the graffiti as soon as possible. This helps improve and maintain the image of local neighborhoods while removing local eyesores for residents. This also sends a message to wrongdoers that the communities do not tolerate decay and helps build a sense of pride and ownership in the community and its problems.

Bernard Johns, (407) 708-7647

EMPACT (Electronic Monitoring, Protection and Crime Tracking)

High-risk juveniles under the supervision of the Intensive Community Supervision Unit or high-risk offenders in the pre-adjudicatory state of the juvenile justice system may be placed on a GPS tracking system. The system records offender's movements and transmits them to the probation officer where they may be viewed on a map. Inclusion and exclusionary zones may be established. The recorded points are compared electronically on a daily basis to the reported crimes within the county. The project is funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

For more information, Juvenile Probation Officer Bill Litton at the Youth Services Prevention and Enforcement Center at (407) 708-7640.

Eugene Gregory Memorial Youth Academy

The Eugene Gregory Memorial Youth Academy is a unit of the Division of Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Intervention of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. It is funded by the State of Florida, Department of Juvenile Justice. The unit provides a highly structured environment consisting of five hours of traditional education and three hours of life skills training for at-risk\high-risk youth who are returning to the community from residential commitment programs, as well as youth on probation or conditional release that are suspended or expelled from school.

Pat Chandler at (407) 708-7643