Figures among wealth of data in agency’s 2025 Annual Report
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit handled about 7.5% fewer crash investigations in 2025 — 3,174 — than its 2024 total of 3,431, the agency notes among a multitude of data in its 2025 Annual Report, which it released last week.
Officers in the unit also made 582 DUI arrests, the new report points out.
The calls for service for the Traffic Unit last year added up to 2,335, the report notes.
For another comparison: The number of calls for service for the Mounted Patrol dropped nearly 24%, year-over-year, the report says. The count for 2025 was 631; in 2024, it was 831, the report shows.
The number of agency members did not change from 2024 to 2025, the new report also makes clear, even though the county’s population continues to climb. The breakdown is as follows: 508 sworn law enforcement deputies; 221 sworn Corrections Division deputies; and 375 civilian members.
As Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman wrote in his message in the 2025 Annual Report, “Over the past year, our community has continued to experience significant growth. While this brings new opportunities, it also presents new challenges for public safety. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office,” he continued, “remains committed to meeting these demands through advanced equipment, professionalism, innovation, and a dedicated focus on protecting our residents and visitors.”
In February, as he addressed the Sarasota County Commission in regard to his proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, Hoffman pointed out that he was not seeking any new employees for the next year. The commissioners had asked all of the county’s constitutional officers to keep their FY 2027 budget increases related to the county’s General Fund to no more than 1.6%. Hoffman and his staff were able to hit the 1.5% mark, he noted during a June 16 budget presentation to the board, partly through a hold on hiring.
The commissioners have taken a number of steps this year to keep county spending as low as possible in the next fiscal year, not knowing whether the state’s voters will approve a property tax referendum that the Legislature agreed to place on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.
Property tax revenue for the county would drop by $87 million in the 2029 fiscal year, the Office of Financial Management has told The Sarasota News Leader, if the referendum wins the approval of the necessary 60% of voters who mark the question on their ballots. Property tax revenue makes up the largest portion of the General Fund, which covers the costs of all county departments and operations of the county’s constitutional officers — such as the sheriff — that generate either no revenue or too little revenue to pay for their own expenses.
Among other details in the 2025 report, it notes that the Patrol Bureaus in North County and South County handled more than 117,000 calls for service. The figure for 2024 was 118,789, which had marked a 1.3% uptick from 2023.
The new report also includes a breakdown of the numbers of calls related to crimes involving people and property crimes:
Further, the report says that agency personnel drove 6.8 million miles in 2025. That was up from 6.7 million in 2024.
A chart with data related to the work of other full-time units says that the Aviation Division handled 3,238 calls for service. That figure was more than twice the 2024 total: 1,560.
Further, the agency’s helicopters dropped 6,300 gallons of water to aid in firefighting efforts, the report says. That number was down slightly from the 2024 figure of 6,600.
Altogether, the two helicopters logged 918 flying hours; that tally was nearly one-and-three-quarters higher than the 2024 total of 531 hours.
The report does note, “In 2025, our Aviation Unit strengthened its operational capacity with the acquisition of a Bell 429 helicopter. This advanced aircraft is equipped to perform hoist rescue operations and assist in fire suppression efforts, significantly expanding our ability to respond to critical incidents. These capabilities not only serve the citizens of our county but also provide valuable support to our regional partners.”
Yet another chart provides data regarding the work of the agency’s part-time specialty units:
The section about the Investigations Bureau explains that it “is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations and supporting criminal case development through a multidisciplinary approach.”
An accompanying chart notes that the Drug Lab received a total of 3,027 submissions in 2025. That was down from 3,334 in 2024.
The total number of drug types identified last year was 20, that section added, marking another year-over-year drop, as the 2024 count was 25.
Further, that section says, “Fom 2024 to 2025, reported fraud losses increased from $14,921,665 to $21,813,667 — a 46% increase. This significant rise highlights the growing complexity and impact of financial crimes in Sarasota County.”
Yet another set of data in the report focuses on the work of the staff of the Emergency Operations Bureau, which handles 911 calls. The total number of emergency calls logged in 2025 was 246,962. That also was down from 2024, when the tally was 265,267; the 2024 number had marked an 11% decrease from the 2023 figure.
The total for non-emergency calls in 2025 was 383,552, the report adds.
Yet another chart in the report puts a spotlight on the work of the Courts and Corrections Division:
As for the Court Services Bureau: The report points out that the number of visitors to court facilities in 2025 was 369,218. Further, deputies arrested 492 people at the courthouse, a number that was almost 19.7% higher than the figure of 411 in 2024.
Moreover, the report says, those deputies recovered 4,705 weapons, nearly a 9.9% jump from the 2024 tally of 4,285.
Sheriff Hoffman also wrote the following in his message in the report: “I am proud of the work our men and women have done to keep our community safe while building strong relationships with those we serve. As Sarasota continues to grow, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our vision, mission, and values.”
