The Community Affairs Office strives to be responsive and professional in its activities. We act in full compliance with the Florida Public Records Law and in the best interests of the agency, the news media, and the people of Sarasota County. Routine media inquiries and records requests are handled as expeditiously as possible during normal business hours.

This office handles all media inquiries, issues news releases, responds to public records by members of the media, coordinates agency social media, special projects and other communications.

The Community Affairs Office includes Public Information Officer Matthew Binkley, Media Relations Specialist Dana Judge, Creative Communications Specialist Doug Johnson, Multimedia Specialist Lia Fernandez, and is supported by Administrative Media Specialist Alanna Gnesin. The office is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., in the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Headquarters located at 6010 Cattleridge Blvd. For general media inquiries, please contact the Community Affairs Office at 941.861.4005. To contact Public Officer Matthew Binkley, email Matthew.Binkley@sarasotasheriff.org, or call 941.861.4927. 

AFTER HOURS POLICY
Written records, including arrest affidavits and offense reports, are not available after hours. Staff will not have information readily available regarding non-fatal vehicle crashes, routine arrests, crimes not resulting in death or critical injury, or the status of cases that are not considered breaking news. Flash Reports may be issued by the on-duty Watch Commander regarding certain incidents of interest to the public.

If you need verification of an incident after hours, call the Front Desk Deputy and ask for the Watch Commander. The phone number is 941.861.4260. Understand that if the Watch Commander is not available, the deputy will page them to call you. Should there be a high profile or large scale incident after hours, on holidays or weekends the media will be notified.

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Our social media accounts are not monitored in real time. To report a crime, speak with a deputy, or for any other issue that requires law enforcement assistance, please dial 911 or our non-emergency line at 941.316.1201.

BRAND GUIDELINES

• Every use of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office name and FSA-issued logo must be reviewed and approved by the Community Affairs Office prior to distribution.
• In all written and verbal communication, use the proper name, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
• In running text, use “Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office” on first reference and “the sheriff’s office” or “SCSO” in subsequent references.
• The sheriff’s name should be written as Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman [please include a period after “A”].
• Tag the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (@sarasotasheriff) page on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

REQUESTS TO VIDEOTAPE FIRST APPEARANCE
Sarasota County’s first appearance generally takes place daily Monday – Friday at 1:00 p.m., and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 9:00 a.m. The first appearance courtroom is located within the Sarasota County Correctional Facility, a secured building located at 2020 Main Street in Sarasota.

In order to attend and record first appearance from a courtroom within the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center, members of the media must notify court administration within reasonable time and with as much advanced notice as possible, prior to court proceedings. The contact for court administration is Public Information Officer Donna Rhodes. She can be reached by email at PIO@jud12.flcourts.org or by phone at 941.960.3432.