Second annual Sheriff’s Office open house set for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Agency units, including SWAT and the Mounted Patrol, will be featured, along with food and giveaways

Image courtesy Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office will hold its second annual open house on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sheriff Tom Knight has announced.

Members of the public are invited to visit the Sheriff’s Office headquarters “to enjoy a free, family-friendly event with food, music, demonstrations, and giveaways,” 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 their equipment, “offering attendees an inside look at the Special Operations Bureau,” the release adds.

The Human Resources and Emergency Operations bureaus will offer information about career opportunities, and the agency’s Animal Services Section will bring adoptable animals to the open house, the release notes.

The event will coincide with the agency’s third annual holiday toy drive, benefitting the 12th Judicial Circuit Court’s Guardian ad Litem program, the release points out. The first 500 people to donate a new, unwrapped toy or gift card during the open house will receive a free Sheriff’s Office T-shirt, the release says. “Clothing and stuffed animals will not be accepted. T-shirts are limited to one per person per gift,” the release notes.

“We are so excited to welcome the community back to our Sarasota headquarters this year,” said Community Affairs Director Kaitlyn Perez in the release. “What’s most exciting is the opportunity to use the open house as a way for community members to get involved in our holiday toy drive. Our agency members donate hundreds of gifts every season. Can you imagine the impact we can make as a community?” she added in the release.

“As crime continues to decrease throughout Sarasota County, what better way to celebrate than by hosting an annual celebration,” said Knight in the release. “We are fortunate to live in a safe and thriving community where people want to be part of their Sheriff’s Office. That is why it’s my pleasure to host the second annual Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office open house,” he added in the release.

The Sheriff’s Office headquarters is located at 6010 Cattleridge Blvd., in Sarasota. Parking is limited, so attendees are encouraged to carpool if possible, the release points out.

Sponsorship opportunities are available, the release notes. For more information, contact the agency’s Community Affairs Office at 861-4005.