Sheriff’s Office begins 2022 agency-wide recruitment campaign, ‘Careers Start Here’

Agency offering third-highest starting salary for law enforcement deputies in the state

Image courtesy Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has begun its 2022 agency-wide recruitment campaign, Careers Start Here, Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman has announced.

“Over the course of more than six months,” a news release says, the agency’s Community Affairs Office and Human Resources Bureau worked with Sarasota-based creative production company Captivation Agency “to develop a full-fledged campaign including photos and videos, flyers, banners, and promotional material to be used on the agency’s website, social media platforms, during hiring events, and at job fairs,” the release points out. Sheriff’s Office members featured in the main 6-and-a-half-minute recruitment film work in various parts of the agency; collectively, they share their experiences from serving in the law enforcement profession, the release adds. “Woven into each campaign element are the agency’s community-first culture and family-oriented focus,” the release notes.

“The landscape for law enforcement recruitment is more unique now than ever,” said Hoffman in the release. “Deputies have an increasingly difficult job, but what we hope to accomplish with this campaign is to illustrate how great Sarasota County is, both to work in and raise a family. We are unlike any other place in Florida, and the proof is in our people,” Hoffman continued in the release.

“With the third-highest starting salary for law enforcement deputies in the state,” he added, “we are staying competitive and drawing professional, competent, and service-oriented men and women to our organization. We hope this campaign broadens our reach and brings more talent to Sarasota County and the law enforcement profession.”

The starting salary for a sworn law enforcement deputy is $56,123, while the salary for a sworn corrections deputy is $51,018, the release points out. The Human Resources Bureau performs regular salary reviews to ensure that the agency stays competitive and maintains pay scales “that reflect the local cost of living,” the release continues.

With 1,017 full-time positions, the agency employs 353 civilians, 454 sworn law enforcement deputies, and 210 sworn corrections deputies, the release notes.

“When most people think of a career in law enforcement, they think of the uniform, badge, lights, and sirens,” said Human Resources Director Staci Pickavance. “The reality is there is so much more that goes into a full-service, fully accredited law enforcement organization tasked with protecting a community of nearly half-a-million citizens. One of our main goals with this campaign is to showcase all the opportunities we have to offer, from the civilian mail clerk to the fleet mechanic, crime scene technician, and everything in between,” Pickavance added in the release.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office offers a comprehensive benefits package and wellness program, including, but not limited to, the following, the release says:

  • Partially subsidized group medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Enrollment in the Florida Retirement System (FRS).
  • Educational assistance up to $4,000 annually after one year of service and additional financial incentive for college education.
  • Unlimited use of Sarasota County’s fitness centers and Employee Assistance Program.
  • 11 paid holidays and nine paid sick days per year.
  • 10 paid vacation days after one year of service; 15 days upon the completion of four years, through five years; and one additional day per year thereafter, up to 20 days total.
  • Potential to earn additional vacation hours through participation in annual wellness and sick award incentive programs.

“Sarasota County is a remarkable community, and the men and women who serve with our Sheriff’s Office are second to none,” Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler said in the release. “I can tell you confidently that the Sarasota County commission fully supports our Sheriff’s Office, its approach to rightful policing, and its community-first culture,” Ziegler added in the release.

To learn more about career opportunities with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, visit SarasotaSheriff.org; connect with the agency on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; and follow this link to the agency’s YouTube channel dedicated to recruitment. New career opportunities are posted to both the agency’s website and social media platforms weekly, on Mondays, the release notes.