Governor Rick Scott Appoints Six to Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council

Florida Governor Rick Scott announced three reappointments and three appointments to the Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council today, August 1, 2011:

James F. Coats, 67, of Largo, is the Sheriff of Pinellas County. He is reappointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

Ben F. Johnson, 61, of DeLand, is the Sheriff of Volusia County. He is reappointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

Jeffrey A. Chudnow, 59, of Oviedo, is the chief of police for the City of Oviedo. He succeeds Edward J. Overman and is appointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

Samuel Williams, 63, of Ocala, is the chief of police for the City of Ocala. He succeeds Norman B. Botsford and is appointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

Dr. Stephen Nelson, 53, of Lakeland, is the District 10 Medical Examiner. He succeeds Dr. Margarita Arruza and is appointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

Bernie J. McCabe, 63, of Clearwater, is the State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. He is reappointed for a term beginning August 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2013.

About the Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council

The Council provides advice and recommendations, as necessary, to the executive director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on (but not limited to):

• Establishing a program that provides grants to criminal justice agencies that develop and implement effective violent crime prevention and investigative programs and which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of drug control, criminal gang, and illicit money laundering investigative efforts or task force efforts that are determined by the council to significantly contribute to achieving the state’s goal of reducing drug-related crime as articulated by the Office of Drug Control, that represent significant criminal gang investigative efforts, that represent a significant illicit money laundering investigative effort, or that otherwise significantly support statewide strategies developed by the Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council established under s. 397.333, subject to the limitations provided in this section. The grant program may include an innovations grant program to provide startup funding for new initiatives by local and state law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime or to implement drug control, criminal gang, or illicit money laundering investigative efforts or task force efforts by law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, initiatives such as:
  • Providing enhanced community-oriented policing.
  • Providing additional undercover officers and other investigative officers to assist with violent crime investigations in emergency situations.
  • Providing funding for multiagency or statewide drug control, criminal gang, or illicit money laundering investigative efforts or task force efforts that cannot be reasonably funded completely by alternative sources and that significantly contribute to achieving the state’s goal of reducing drug-related crime as articulated by the Office of Drug Control, that represent significant criminal gang investigative efforts, that represent a significant illicit money laundering investigative effort, or that otherwise significantly support statewide strategies developed by the Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council established under s. 397.333.
• Expanding the use of automated fingerprint identification systems at the state and local level.
• Identifying methods to prevent violent crime.
• Identifying methods to enhance multiagency or statewide drug control, criminal gang, or illicit money laundering investigative efforts or task force efforts that significantly contribute to achieving the state’s goal of reducing drug-related crime as articulated by the Office of Drug Control, that represent significant criminal gang investigative efforts, that represent a significant illicit money laundering investigative effort, or that otherwise significantly support statewide strategies developed by the Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council established under s. 397.333.
• Enhancing criminal justice training programs which address violent crime, drug control, illicit money laundering investigative techniques, or efforts to control and eliminate criminal gangs.
• Developing and promoting crime prevention services and educational programs that serve the public, including, but not limited to:
  • Enhanced victim and witness counseling services that also provide crisis intervention, information referral, transportation, and emergency financial assistance.
  • A well-publicized rewards program for the apprehension and conviction of criminals who perpetrate violent crimes.
• Enhancing information sharing and assistance in the criminal justice community by expanding the use of community partnerships and community policing programs.  Such expansion may include the use of civilian employees or volunteers to relieve law enforcement officers of clerical work in order to enable the officers to concentrate on street visibility within the community.