You don’t have to do much to become one of the best-known people at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office – just get shot three times (once in the neck), and fight through surgery, physical therapy, fears of painkiller addiction, and the monsters in your own mind to emerge stronger than ever as a powerful example of how to not only survive but thrive through adversity. Corporal Matt Aitken is best known for that harrowing incident of March 12, 2023, when a routine track turned deadly and he...

In this episode we talk with Tactical Paramedic Supervisor Joey Greco, who carries guns AND tourniquets. If he ever has to shoot you, he’ll probably be able to save your life afterward. Joey is one of the TacMeds who train with SWAT and accompany them on callouts, positioned in the hot zone. Although he’s not on the entry team, he’s trained to respond under fire if one of the SWAT operators is harmed. Joey began his lifesaving career as an Explorer with Clearwater FD, where at age 16 he...

Jana Demperio could have been a professional stand-up comic, but instead she’s a deputy currently working the desk at our North District Station. She’s done Patrol, Street Crimes, Community Policing, and was a School Resource Officer, but thinks that working the desk is at least as challenging as any of those. The public thinks she can fix any problem, has a skewed perception about what constitutes a crime, and is perfectly willing to yell in her ear about it all. But Jana won Deputy of the...

In this episode we talk with Lieutenant Dave Stang, a man so powerful he can lose eight pints of blood – the amount in an average human – and still be standing, a veritable Paul Bunyan who was running a chainsaw in the timber business at age 11, and was hired as a firefighter before he even finished high school. As a young man he never thought about going into law enforcement, but his superhero origin story is full of foreshadowing: as a teen he saved students and teachers from bullies, and...

In this episode we talk with PCSO’s answer to Bones – only better because she’s real! Dr. Meredith Tise is not only a forensic anthropologist, she’s also our Forensic Quality Assurance Coordinator, making sure that our Forensics Division is held to the highest standards. She started in a morgue as a teenager, and her work has taken her from the border to body farms as she perfected her knowledge early in her career. She was involved in the excavation at the Dozier School for Boys, uncovering...

In this episode we talk with possibly the happiest man in the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office: Sergeant Jimmy Fortner. He began his career in a super max prison where stabbings, overdoses, hangings, and attacks on guards were commonplace. Now he works at the Pinellas County Jail, which despite the best resources and training can still be fraught with danger. Jimmy is an imposing six-foot-six and 360 pounds but he says he’s never won a fight… even against a Little Person in the Mexican Mafia....

In this episode we talk with the man himself, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. It’s hard to believe he was once an innocent young rookie taking calls for noise complaints and trespass warnings, but those who have heard him call out, “Car 1, 10-50,” on his way home know he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Sheriff Gualtieri started out at the Pinellas County Jail and was an officer in Dunedin before joining the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. Hear stories from his long stint in Narcotics, Find...

In this episode we talk with SWAT Supervisor, Sergeant Brian Diebold, a man described by many as a tactical genius. A man who isn’t afraid of anything… except joining us on the podcast. Tune in to find out what he reveals about his long and varied career – and then tell us what he’s leaving out! After years of kicking in doors and catching murderers, Brian is now the guy who has to stay back by the Command Bus while his SWAT studs make entry. That’s hard for a man who has made more door...

In this episode we talk with Lieutenant Freddie Hayes who according to a reliable source is, pound for pound, the best at just about everything. Of course Freddie himself is the reliable source, but we haven’t found any evidence to contradict him yet. Whether it’s being locked in a pod alone with 80 inmates or wrangling a poop-covered intake, Freddie can do it all. He leads the Corrections Response Team (CRT) which handles the most dangerous situations in the jail. He also oversees the Honor...

In this episode we talk with Assistant Forensic Science Supervisor Rhonda Klein, the “Queen of the Meth Labs” who has processed some of the most interesting – and most disgusting – crime scenes imaginable. From hoarder houses to bodies so decomposed that they’re barely recognizable as human, Rhonda has seen it all. She initially trained as a deputy but later followed her first passion for Forensics – see if that early training prepared her for the moment she was trapped alone at a crime scene...

In this episode we talk with Deputy Jill Constant of the Marine and Environmental Lands Unit. From rescuing manatees in distress to braving seas that are too rough even for the Coast Guard, Deputy Constant helps keep our waterways safe. After a childhood spent learning the value of preserving natural resources she knew she wanted to combine environmentalism with her desire to put bad guys in jail. Learn how she helped arrest a dangerous carjacker who was much better on land than in water,...

In this episode we talk with Major Adrian Arnold, who currently oversees our Judicial Operations Bureau but whose 30 year career includes stints in nearly every part of the agency. His entire future was launched with a single trial ride-along in Michigan, but the promise of snow-free winters combined with the idea that being a Florida cop would be a little like Miami Vice lured him to the PCSO. Major Arnold was on the forefront of the Community Policing movement, at a time when law...

In this episode we talk with Analyst Supervisor Jacqueline Danzig, whose team works hand in hand with deputies and detectives to get them the information they need to solve – and even prevent – crimes. When she started her career they were still tracking burglaries by putting pins in maps, but now she and other analysts are much more high tech as they gather facts, uncover details, and spot the trends that can predict the next crime wave. As Danzig says, there are no crystal balls, just data....

In this episode we talk with Detention Deputy Anthony LaCorte, who was named the 2022 Detention Deputy of the Year for heroically saving two children who were drowning in rough seas off Anclote Key. Even beyond that moment of heroism, LaCorte is a shining example of a detention deputy. We talk about his philosophies of corrections, including the ways he makes sure inmates never feel dehumanized despite their incarceration. He uses a combination of command presence and humor to maintain order,...

In this episode we talk with Sergeant Mike Kilian of the K-9 Unit. In his 33 years in law enforcement he’s seen it all, from a victim disposed of in a wood chipper (see, that doesn’t just happen in Fargo) to a nail-biting SWAT standoff which the barricaded subject promised would be a violent “Waco on the Withlacoochee.” Sergeant Kilian talks about his origins as a naive jail deputy and his time in patrol, SWAT, and as a detective in Narcotics, Burglary, and Homicide before he joined the...

In this episode we talk with Detective Ron Chalmers from the Cold Case Unit. He shares some exciting stories of his previous career with the Reno Police Department – everything from the origin of the comedy show Reno 911, to the thrilling SWAT callout that sent him running into gunfire to try to rescue a fallen officer. You’ll also hear about two recent cold cases he solved since joining the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, both of which were solved with the help of genetic genealogy, which...

Welcome to 56: A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Podcast. Three curious and well-informed civilians – Ricky, Laura, and Ashley – will find the most interesting people and fascinating stories from all around the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and bring you a podcast you’ll never forget. Email us your questions and suggestions at [email protected] Follow us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube PCSO Website