Fort White, Florida Police Station Information
Facts about crime in Fort White, Florida:
- The overall crime rate in Fort White is 28% higher than the national average.
- For every 100,000 people, there are 9.95 daily crimes that occur in Fort White.
- Fort White is safer than 18% of the cities in the United States.
- In Fort White you have a 1 in 28 chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
- The number of total year over year crimes in Fort White has decreased by 3%.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Detention Division is the second largest Division in the Sheriff’s Office and serves the public safety interests of Columbia County. The Columbia County Detention Facility is responsible for the intake, housing, care, custody and control of citizens who are arrested by law enforcement. The Detention Facility staff works hand in hand with the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division, Lake City Police Department and other area Law Enforcement agencies serving the citizens of Columbia County. Detention Facility staff personnel also work very closely with the Columbia County Courts, State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office.
Admissions And Release – (Booking)
Booking is responsible for processing offenders that have been arrested by local Law Enforcement as well as processing offenders who have been sentenced by the Columbia County Courts. A one time non-refundable fifteen dollar ($15) subsistence fee is charged to all offenders at the time of intake. Individuals that have been arrested and are not able to bond out will appear before a Judge within the first twenty-four (24) hours of arrest. The Judge informs each arrestee of his/her charge(s) and the bond amount for each charge. First appearance is held each day, via Polycom (Video Monitor), at the Detention Facility.
Medical
The Medical Department is staffed with 2 Registered Nurses (RN) and 2 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) who provide medical services to inmates. Additionally, the Detention Division has 2 area Doctors on contract to provide Medical and Mental Health Services to incarcerated offenders. Inmate’s health complaints are solicited daily and followed by appropriate triage and treatment by qualified health professionals. These services comply with the Florida Model Jail Standards and are inspected annually for continued compliance.
Classification
The Classification Department determines custody and housing assignments for all offenders at the Detention Facility. The Classification Department is responsible for processing court dispositions and release documentation as it is received from the Courts. Additionally, the Classification Officer tracks the length of sentence for each offender, calculates incentive gain time, formulates correct release dates, prepares commitment packets for those inmates who are sentenced to the Department of Corrections and coordinates hearings for the Parole Commission and Child Support Enforcement.
Food Service
The Food Service Department is operated by Eagle Food Services Inc. under contract with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. Eagle Food Services is required to provide three (3) meals each day to every offender housed at the Detention Facility. The Food Service Director is required to follow an approved menu by a state certified dietitian for all meals served at the Detention Facility.
Warrants
The Columbia County Warrants Division is responsible for maintaining and servicing all Warrants within the county. The Warrants division consists of a Warrants Supervisor and two full-time clerks who receive and process all warrants issued by the Third Circuit Courts and the Columbia County Courts. The clerks also receive and process warrants from other agencies for persons being sought in Columbia County. Additionally, the warrants clerks coordinate with other agencies on prisoner transportation and provide other agencies with information on warrants and criminal processes held or received by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The clerks provide investigative assistance to Sheriff’s Office Investigators and other department personnel.
Transportation
The Transportation Department consists of four (4) Transport Deputies / Officers who ensure the transportation of offenders to outside court, doctor visits, hospitals, correctional facilities and other counties are completed in a safe and timely manner. The Transport Deputies assist with staffing courtrooms for trials involving offenders in the custody of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
Inmate Work Release
This program allows select low risk offenders who meet the Columbia County Courts and Detention Facility criteria an opportunity to work in the community while completing the terms of their sentence. This program gives offenders the chance to pay restitution and support their families during incarceration.
Commissary
Stewart Commissary is contracted with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office to provide canteen services to the offender population. The Detention Facility Inmate Commissary is operated by one (1) civilian employee. The commissary provides inmates with such items as: Canteen, personal hygiene products and indigent care items.
Facility Maintenance
The Detention Facility has one full time county maintenance person assigned who is responsible for the oversight of all facility repairs, preventive maintenance and emergency work orders. The Detention Facility staff works closely with the Columbia County Maintenance Department to ensure all maintenance needs for the facility are met.
County Sheriff, Warrant, Most Wanted Information in Fort White, Florida
Mark A. Hunter, Sheriff
4917 US Highway 90 East
Lake City, FL 32055
Phone: (386) 752-9212
Administrative Support
It is the responsibility of the Administration Support Group to perform the many tasks that keep the daily routines of the Sheriff’s Office functioning efficiently and effectively. The Administration Support Group has four Divisions that are necessary in order to maintain a fluent and seamless operational workflow within the organization. These Divisions include Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology and Administrative Services.
As with any organization reporting is a major function, and the Sheriff’s Office is no different. The Sheriff’s Office produces reports and documents associated with each Division of the Agency. Payroll must be handled every two weeks, accounts must be balanced and monies tracked. Human Resources keep track of qualifications of new applicants and training requirements of current appointees. The Information Technology Systems Administrator maintains the computers for the agency and assists in evaluation of new technology.
Patrol Division
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division is considered to be the backbone of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office as it is not only the largest division within the Sheriff’s Office, but it is also the most visible. The Division is comprised of multiple shifts broken into Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta. The School Resource Deputies are part of Patrol as well as several specialized teams serving in the capacities of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Dive, Marine, Negotiations, Training and K-9.
The responsibility of the Patrol Division is to maintain a safe and orderly environment for citizens and visitors in all areas of Columbia County. When assistance is requested from the Sheriff’s Office, the first deputy responding will most likely be a member of the Patrol Division. These deputies are in constant contact with the public and answer a variety of calls. Patrol deputies handle a varied range of calls from noise complaints to homicides. For this reason, these deputies must have in-depth knowledge of the law and must be well versed law enforcement officers.
Commanded by a Captain and two Lieutenants, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division is made up of uniformed patrol deputies who provide law enforcement services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. These deputies are encompassed within five zones of the county and assigned to two Districts. District One is made up of Columbia County north of County Road 240 and District Two is everything south of CR 240.
Criminal Investigations Division
The Mission Statement of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is to provide the highest quality criminal investigative support to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office by conducting timely and thorough criminal investigations. Motivated only by a search for the truth, CID Detectives will search out and collect all available evidence surrounding each case to exonerate the innocent and substantiate the culpability of the guilty.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division is comprised of multiple units that assist local, state and federal government agencies by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating criminal intelligence information throughout the state and nation to support criminal investigations.
Judicial Services Division
Court Security
The Court Security Deputy strive to provide a high degree of courteous and professional security to all persons whether involved in or just visiting the Judicial System within Columbia County. The Court Deputy’s are charged with maintaining proper courtroom decorum and procedure during the various proceedings coming before five judges and three hearing officers currently assigned to Columbia County. This includes assisting with the safety of judicial personnel, assistants, courthouse facility personnel along with the general public.
