MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

General Order

CHAPTER:		TITLE:
		Liaison and Interagency
005		Coordination and Planning
EFFECTIVE DATE:	NO. PAGES:	REVIEWED/REVISED:
April 8, 2014	4	December 12, 2019
REFERENCE:		RESCINDS:
Sheriff of Monroe County

I.PURPOSE: The purpose of this directive is to establish guidelines for liaison and interagency coordination and planning.

II.DISCUSSION: This directive will apply to all Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) personnel. It is important to establish and maintain effective channels of communication between MCSO and other agencies for improved cooperation. Good liaison breaks down barriers that exist and hopefully results in savings.

III.POLICY AND PROCEDURE

A. MCSO will maintain liaison with the following criminal justice agencies:

1.Local Adult and Juvenile Courts: It is the duty of the Undersheriff or his designee to meet periodically with the judges of the adult and juvenile courts in order to provide feedback to the office of investigative error or courtroom error.

2.State Attorney’s Office (SAO): It is the duty of district commanders to meet periodically with the SAO to discuss problems encountered by both offices and to provide the SAO with a greater understanding of the problems encountered by law enforcement.

3.Parole and Probation: It is the duty of the Undersheriff or his designee to meet periodically with Parole and Probation to discuss law enforcement objectives and activities relating to parole and probation matters and to discuss any problems encountered by parole and probation and MCSO.

4.Adult and Juvenile Correctional Agencies: It is the duty of the Bureau of Corrections commander to meet with adult and juvenile correctional agencies within Monroe County in order to assure proper information flow and coordination between MCSO and correctional authorities.

5.Other Law Enforcement and Public Service Agencies in adjoining or concurrent jurisdictions:

a.It is the duty of each district commander to arrange periodic meetings with other law enforcement agencies having concurrent jurisdiction with MCSO:

1)to establish joint plans for dealing with such things as criminal conduct and traffic operations

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2)to share statistical and support service information

3)to enhance the arrest of wanted persons

4)to exchange information in criminal investigations as directed by the Undersheriff

5)to discuss any problem encountered between their agency and MCSO. Such problems will be documented and discussed with the appropriate supervisors and division commander.

b.The agencies of concern to this directive include, but are not limited to:

1)Florida Department of Law Enforcement

2)Florida Highway Patrol

3)Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

4)Florida Alcohol, Beverage, and Tobacco

5)Federal Bureau of Investigation

6)U.S. Customs and Border Protection

7)U.S. Wildlife Service

8)Naval Intelligence Service

9)U.S. Coast Guard

10)Key West Police Department

c.District commanders will arrange periodic meetings with local fire department officials and emergency medical services officials to provide a forum for the development of plans for traffic direction and control at emergency scenes and for the resolution of other problems that may arise.

B.Referrals

1.Members of MCSO, in the course of performing their duties, often encounter people in need of a type of help best provided by another criminal justice agency or a social service agency. The intent of this directive is to provide officers with a reasonable means of ascertaining who can best be served by another agency, and, if so, by which agency.

a.MCSO possesses concurrent jurisdiction with the cities of Key West and Key Colony Beach. In addition, MCSO retains concurrent law enforcement jurisdiction in Monroe County with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Key West Police Department, Key Colony Beach Police Department and the Florida National Guard.

b.There are also several federal law enforcement agencies assigned to Monroe County. They include, but are not limited to, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Wildlife Service, United States Coast Guard and the Department of Defense (DoD).

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2.The Sheriff, by law, is both the Chief Executive Officer of the court and Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Monroe County with the full authority and responsibility to uphold the law and preserve the peace. In addition to the Sheriff's constitutional office, several agencies have been created statutorily or by federal title to deal with specific law enforcement issues that will arise from time to time.

a.It is the purpose of this policy to identify those specific law enforcement situations as best as possible and to advise what agency should be contacted with relevancy to each situation.

b.Florida Department of Law Enforcement: To be contacted only with the approval of the Sheriff or his designee for matters deemed necessary.

c.Florida Highway Patrol: To be contacted for all reported or discovered traffic crashes within Monroe County with the exception of traffic crashes reported or discovered in the City of Key West. Also, when necessary, the FHP may be contacted for situations requiring traffic assistance or law enforcement backup.

d.Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission: To be contacted for all reported or discovered boating crashes, reported boats in distress, derelict vessels in tidal waters, laws pertaining to the catching, possession and/or selling of saltwater products and any reported or discovered draining or depositing of oil into any saltwater. FWC will also be contacted for all calls pertaining to reported or discovered situations dealing with game, non-game birds, freshwater fish, wild animal life and freshwater aquatic life not in or on United States properties.

e.Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco: To be contacted when an investigation is deemed necessary for a reported or discovered potential violation of the Beverage Law and/or Cigarette Tax Law.

f.Key West Police Department: To be contacted when requests for service are received for inside the city limits of Key West, unless the caller requests MCSO respond. However, in instances dealing with Key West city ordinances, the police department must be contacted. This should be fully explained to the complainant.

g.Key Colony Beach Police Department: To be contacted when requests for service are received for inside the city limits of Key Colony Beach, unless the caller requests MCSO respond. However, in instances involving Key Colony Beach city ordinances, the police department must be contacted. This should be fully explained to the complainant.

h.Florida National Guard: To be contacted only if the Sheriff or his designee for deem matters necessary. Generally the National Guard will be requested in the event of a natural disaster or great law enforcement emergency.

i.Federal Bureau of Investigation: To be contacted for bank robberies, when information or an investigation deems it appropriate or any other crime under Federal Bureau of Investigation jurisdiction.

j.United States Customs and Border Protection: To be contacted when assistance is needed in the investigation of illegal substances or products entering or about to enter the boundaries of Monroe County. Also to be contacted when illegal aliens enter or are about to enter the boundaries of Monroe County.

k.United States Wildlife Service: To be contacted concerning situations dealing with wildlife or any United States lands in Monroe County or for any situations dealing with wildlife

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under the jurisdiction of U.S. Wildlife Service in Monroe County.

l.United States Coast Guard: To be contacted concerning missing boats, boats in distress or boating accidents outside the boundaries of Monroe County with the exception of the areas west of Key West not covered by the Florida Marine Patrol. Also the US Coast Guard should be notified when deemed appropriate by investigating personnel or if illegal drugs are headed for the boundaries of Monroe County by way of the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

m.Department of Defense (Naval Investigative Service / Boca Chica Naval Air Station (NAS) Security): To be contacted concerning situations occurring on the military properties, Boca Chica NAS, Trumbo Point, etc. and in response to 911 calls on military property. The Naval Investigative Service will be contacted concerning investigations involving military personnel which may involve illegal activities on military property or a federal crime.

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