Sheriff’s Office to host Dec. 9 grand opening of new facilities on Cattleridge Boulevard in Sarasota

Ribbon cutting, demonstrations and adoptable animals from Animal Services Section to be part of event

A flyer offers details about the grand opening. Image courtesy Sheriff’s Office

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office will celebrate the agency’s relocation after 30 years in downtown Sarasota, with a free, family-friendly event at its new headquarters on Cattleridge Boulevard in Sarasota, the office has announced.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, beginning at 10 a.m., the public is invited to attend an official ribbon cutting hosted in partnership with Sarasota County Government, followed by an open house during which attendees may enjoy refreshments, music and demonstrations, a news release says.

Members of the agency’s SWAT and Emergency Response teams, Mounted Patrol, K-9 and Aviation units, among others, will display special equipment to give the public insight into the agency’s Special Operations Bureau, the release notes. The Human Resources and Emergency Operations bureaus will offer information about career opportunities, the release continues, and the agency’s Animal Services Section will bring adoptable animals.

The first 200 people to arrive at the event will receive a complimentary commemorative Sheriff’s Office T-shirt, the release adds.

Earlier this week, the Sheriff’s Office announced that it would begin offering front desk services at the new facility, which is located at 6010 Cattleridge Blvd. The front desk will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. for people to walk in “to report a crime, commend a deputy,” and drop off or receive property, a news release notes.

The agency’s main headquarters — known historically as “D1” — remains staffed by administrative and law enforcement personnel while the transition to the new facility takes place, the release explains. Eventually, the agency plans to house all Sheriff’s Office employees along the Cattlemen Road corridor, the release says.

However, select personnel will remain at the Sheriff’s Office South County facility, located at 4531 State Road 776 in Venice, to offer services to residents in the area, the release points out.

New enhancements at the 74,000-square-foot building on Cattleridge include better access to and from the Interstate 75 corridor; improved public and handicapped parking; upgraded ventilation for property secured for investigations, as well as evidence and the agency’s drug lab; and a new in-house television studio, the release notes. Nearly 70% of the workforce is under one roof, the release points out.

The new front desk area in the Cattleridge Boulevard facility will open on Nov. 20. Image courtesy Sheriff’s Office

“Unlike D1, the new facility can withstand winds in excess of 135 mph,” the release adds.

Built in 2004, the facility housed the Hoveround Corp. prior to that company’s relocation earlier this year.

“We are immensely proud to offer the public an opportunity to see and enjoy our new headquarters during this commemorative event,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in the release. “I am confident our new facility will only enhance and elevate our level of service to residents and visitors of Sarasota County.”

The Sarasota County Commission purchased the facility with the goal of providing an opportunity for the county and Sheriff’s Office to work together to offer residents more accessible and more centrally located law enforcement services, the release explains.

For more information about the grand opening celebration, visit www.SarasotaSheriff.org or call the agency’s Community Affairs Office at 861-4005.