This is PUBLIC INFORMATION and Under Florida's Sunshine Law it is open to the Public.

March 17, 2014
Sheriff Chris Nocco
Pasco County Sheriff’s Office
8700 Citizens Drive
New Port Richey, Fl. 34654

Dear Sheriff Nocco,

Since July of 2013, the District Board of Trustees of Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has been aware of the ongoing differences between the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSC) and the Law Enforcement Academy at PHSC. Dr. Katherine Johnson and her administrative team have kept us updated on all of the activities and correspondence between her, as President of the College and you, as Sheriff of your Agency.

While we are disappointed that this 24 years partnership between PHSC and the PSO has deteriorated, we remain puzzled over your continued desire to malign and negatively attack our Law Enforcement Academy. It has become increasingly apparent to us that due to the fact that Dr. Johnson as President of the College, did not take the actions you felt were necessary regarding certain academy personnel, you have personally decided to systematically attempt to damage both the operations and the reputation of the Academy. We also know that you have personally and through mutual friends and emissaries, to remain engaged with PHSC. Just so you are aware, we require the President and her administrative staff to abide by all College policies that we, as gubernatorial appointed Trustees, enact as well as the procedures that are implemented pursuant to those policies. Thus far, all of her actions, in relations to your concerns, have been in total compliance with these rules, even though you have made it abundantly clear that you do not agree.
While you may be personally frustrated and focused on what you perceive to be Dr. Johnson’s failure to address your concerns, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we know that this critical partnership between our two organizations has been a top priority for Dr. Johnson and her administrative team and she remains hopeful, as do we, that the relationship can be repaired.
While we have been totally supportive of the actions of Dr. Johnson and her administrative team in regards to how she addressed the concerns of both you and Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis, we feel it is time that we step in as the official governing board for the College. Thus, for the record, we are respectfully requesting that you modify your negative comments and behavior toward the Academy and the College. Further, we urge you to refrain from public comments that are disparaging to both PHSC and its employees.

We have been made aware of a recent e-mail that you sent to the employees of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department that troubles us greatly. In this e-mail you make certain statements which are misleading at best and untrue at worst. This e-mail further maligns that Academy citing examples of unfortunate circumstances that were, in some instances, before your tenure as Sheriff and which have already been officially dealt with in accordance with College policies and procedures. This e-mail also make disparaging remarks regarding our Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) certified training facility that recently received a perfect operational audit by FDLE. Truly, this e-mail reflects a personal and vindictive tone that is extremely disturbing when it comes from our elected Sheriff. The decision reflected in your e-mail to prohibit members of your agency from being employed at the Academy is probably the most paradoxical. Your public comments requesting higher salaries and benefits for your officers loses credibility when you willingly and knowingly foreclose the opportunity for your employees to earn additional income through work which to them is both professionally and personally satisfying. The saddest part of this decision, in our opinion, is that you are keeping the talented members of your team from sharing their expertise, knowledge and experience with future cadets who will be trained at our Academy. As you are well aware, many of the fine faulty who teach at the Academy are members of your staff. So, as you have continued to malign the Academy, you have thus questioned the expertise of the fine men and women you employ and who unselfishly serve the citizens of Pasco County.

At the end of the day, our desire remains, as does the President and her staff to re-engage your Agency as a partner. While we realize it is your decision, we also remind you that the College has over 400 full-time employees who trust and depend on the services of your agency to protect their safety and welfare. This continuing negative verbal attack on the operations of our Law Enforcement Academy and your escalating level of decision-making to “sever” our relationship is not a direction that we feel the citizens of Pasco County should expect from an elected official.
While we have great respect for your Agency and the many challenges law enforcement has in today’s complex society, we will not stand by silently and allow this negatively to continue without our formal and public reaction. Our employees, your staff, and the citizens we both serve deserve a more collegial relationship between our two organizations. We sincerely hope that this “severed” relationship that you have publically declared can truly be “mended.” By working together, we feel certain our two organizations can help make Pasco County a better place to live, work and play.

Sincerely

John DiRienso, Jr.
Chairman, Pasco-Hernando State College, District Board of Trustees
Members: Leonard Johnson, Vice Chair, Pasco County, Judy Parker, Pasco County; Jeanne Gavish, Hernando County: Dr Rao Musunuru, Pasco County; Morris Porton, Hernando County Victor Young, Pasco County; Edward Biomeel, Pasco County and John Dougherty, Hernando County
Cc: Governor Rick Scott
Adam Holingsworth, Chief of Staff, Governor’s Office
Florida Legislative Delegation, Speaker Will Weatherford; Representative Richard Cocoran; Senator John Legg, Representative Amanda Murphy, Representative Robert Schenck, Senator Wilton Simpson, and Representative Jimmie T. Smith
FDLE Commissioner Gerald Baily, Sheriff Susan Benton, Highlands County, CJSTC Chairman Glenn Hopkins, FDLS Bureau Chief Donna Suereth, FDLE Field Specialist John Meeks, Chairman Region IX CJSTC.
Pasco County Commissioners, Jack Mariano; Pat Mulieri, Ed. D., Theodore Schrader, Kathryn Starkey and Henry Wilson.
Hernando County Commissioners, Jim Adkins; Wayne Dukes, **** Nicholson, Diane Rowden and Dave Russel
Sheriff Al Neinhuis
Chief Ray Velboom and PHSC Criminal Justice Technical Advisory Committee.