Unidentified officer put on paid administrative leave on Aug. 7
A Sarasota Police Department officer has been placed on paid administrative leave as a result of an “ongoing criminal investigation involving the alleged misuse of agency technology,” the department announced late in the morning of Aug. 13.
“The agency became aware Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, that the officer allegedly misused law enforcement-only search databases,” a news release explained. “An internal affairs investigation was initiated immediately, and the officer was placed on leave Friday, Aug. 7, 2026,” it added.
“The officer has been with the department since 2023,” the release noted.
“Following the launch of this investigation,” the release continued, “an agency-wide audit was initiated on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, to ensure agency-wide compliance.” The audit is ongoing, the release said.
“The Sarasota Police Department takes every allegation of misconduct seriously,” the release pointed out. “The agency has a responsibility to uphold the public’s trust and confidence in officers and resources entrusted to the agency. Allegations involving the misuse of department resources are taken seriously and are thoroughly investigated to ensure accountability and maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity,” the release stressed.
No additional details were available on Aug. 13, the release added.
During the April 20 Sarasota City Commission meeting, when Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche and his senior staff presented details of their 2025 annual report to the board, Capt. Kenneth Rainey II, who leads the Professional Standards Division, said that in 2025, the Internal Affairs Division was involved in 173 investigations, which marked a 25.36% increase from the number in 2024 — 138.
The tally of formal investigations in 2025 was 11, a slide showed, which was up 266% from the eight cases in 2025.