Support Services Bureau

Under the direction of Major Gary Robinson, this bureau encompasses:
Community Programs
Criminal Investigations Division
Evidence / Property Section
Fiscal Management
Police Service Aides
Purchasing
Records & Management Information Systems
Training and Recruiting

Through this bureau, the police department is provided with computer, technical, and personnel support.  

Training and Recruiting
Sergeant Vince Stassi is the supervisor in charge of the Training and Recruiting section, a component of the Support Services bureau.  The Training section coordinates the entire department's training needs and maintains the training records of the agency.  This area works in conjunction with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Indian River Community College Criminal Justice Center in designing mandatory and specialized re-training courses.  The Training area also coordinates the delivery of those courses and specialized in-service training to department members.

All training records are maintained in the Training and Recruiting section on a computer database. The database can provide those records either for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and/or the Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission (CJSTC) inspection or for legal defenses relating to the various disciplines applied by the department personnel.

Officer Russell Cullum, Officer Sheila LaGrega, and Officer Tim Reilly are the recruiting officers for the Port St. Lucie Police Department.  The recruiting officers are the component of the  Support Services bureau that provides one of the most important functions of this division.  The recruiting function is important because the selection of suitable personnel applying for positions within the department is necessary to ensure that the best-qualified individuals are hired.  Therefore, much effort and scrutiny is put into this process.

The recruiting officers travel to college campuses, attend local "Career Days", and visit regional law enforcement academies in an endeavor to identify candidates who may be interested in careers in law enforcement.  The recruiting officers also work in conjunction with the Human Resources department of the City of Port St. Lucie in processing candidates through the written examination.  Extensive background investigation and professional testing are conducted subsequent to employment.  The background information that is compiled by the recruiting officers is also maintained in the Training and Recruiting Section.

Once  individuals are hired by this agency, the recruiting officers maintain close contact with new employees, offering both support and guidance as they enhance their career endeavors with the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

Records & Management Information Systems
On a yearly basis, this section, managed by Administrator William May, accommodates approximately 10,000 requests for copies of reports and greets citizens requesting assistance.  On an annual basis, Records personnel enter roughly 20,000 written reports, as well as handle over 21,000 citations.
Among the projects implemented by this data processing section was the installation of the Reverse 9-1-1 system, allowing Police Service Aides to contact few, or many, citizens in the event of hurricanes, missing children, area crime, and other emergencies.
 The communications network, using current technology, now spans four counties over a Wide Area Network (WAN), allowing for more efficient coordination with other law enforcement agencies.

Evidence / Property Section
The mission of this section is to safeguard evidence of a crime, have evidence organized and ready for introduction at trial, and to properly dispose of evidence that no longer has any value in the criminal justice system.  This section is also tasked with safekeeping property of non-evidentiary value, i.e., found property, as well as making a concerted effort to return this property to its rightful owner.
Evidence Technicians Blanche Duval and June Harkins also provide training for newly hired police officers, and conduct a two-hour block of instruction during high liability training and for the Citizens Police Academy.

Police Service Aide Section
Staffed with trained, professional members who provide an around-the-clock service, the Police Service Aides are supervised by Administrator Sheila O'Sullivan and Supervisor Kim Reisinger.
In addition to responding to citizen's requests for assistance, answering 10,000 to 13,000 telephone calls per month, and data entry of stolen property and missing persons, the Police Service Aides actively work with district patrol sergeants, issuing crime prevention messages to area residents via the Reverse 9-1-1 system.

Purchasing
Supervised by Mary Beth Lee with assistance from buyers Linda Eprifania and Lisa Smith, this section is responsible for purchasing, inventory control accounts payable, and managing all travel for schooling while maintaining a close working relationship with the Office of Management and Budget regarding maintenance contracts for the Port St. Lucie Police Department.