56: A Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Podcast
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 stories you’ll never forget.Located in vibrant Pinellas County on the west coast of Florida, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is the 15th largest sheriff’s office in the U.S. With close to one million residents, Pinellas is the most densely populated county in Florida, but with its award-wining beaches attract millions of tourists each year. Led by Sheriff Bob Gu...
Episodes
#25 "Don't Pigeonhole Me" -Sheriff Bob Gualtieri
In this episode, we bring back one of our favorite guests – and we’re not just saying that because he’s our boss. On his last visit you got to learn the history and career path that made Sheriff Bob Gualtieri the sheriff he is today. Now we…
#24 "Crack Is Not Water Soluble" - Lieutenant Matt Thornton
For a guy who became a cop because of Super Troopers, Lieutenant Matt Thornton is doing pretty well in law enforcement. He started his career in the jail, where he was known as the “Inmate Whisperer” for his ability to calm inmates with psy…
#23 "She Just Needed A Cookie" - Deputy Syeeta Robinson-Deberg
Deputy Syeeta Robinson-DeBerg is the kind of person who will ride a bike down stairs without worrying about how she’s going to stop at the bottom. If it’s a new challenge, she wants to try it – and do better than anyone else. Syeeta says sh…
#22 "Snooki" - Corporal Justin Fineberg
Snooki, Tigger… Corporal Justin Fineberg is a man of many names but a singular purpose: to get the bad guys so victims can sleep peacefully at night. His hometown of Boston almost got to keep him, but when color-blindness disqualified him u…
#21 - "Shoe-Leather Policing" - Chief Deputy David Danzig
Talk about rising through the ranks! Chief Deputy David Danzig is the number-two man at PCSO, second only to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, and has done just about everything at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). Coming from a law enforce…
#20 "Nips & Bubblers" - Detective Jason Plumb
In this episode we talk with Detective Jason Plumb, who has spent a lifetime saving lives, first as a paramedic, then as an officer in the insanely busy Rochester, New Hampshire PD. A chance meeting with some PCSO deputies made him think th…
#19 "The World's Most Uninteresting Man" - Deputy Chuck Skipper
In this episode we talked with “the world's most uninteresting man,” Deputy Chuck Skipper with the Crime Prevention and Community Awareness Unit. If you’ve seen some of our creative safety videos, Chuck’s face is a familiar one and you know…
#18 "X3 the Channel" - April Bonnemann
In this episode we talk with Assistant Communications Center Shift Supervisor April Bonnemann, whose world moves at a mile a minute as she gives deputies the crucial information that keeps them safe in their dangerous job. She might not be …
#17 "The Closer" - Sergeant Jake Viano
In this episode we talk with Sergeant Jake Viano, who was raised in Long Beach during the height of gang violence and grew up to become the hero who saved Corporal Matt Aitken’s life when he was ambushed and shot during a K-9 track. As if t…
#16 "It's Okay to be Broken" - Corporal Matt Aitken
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 mon…
#15 "Do No Harm... Do Know Harm" - Tactical Paramedic Supervisor Joey Greco
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 acc…
#14 "Is the Chicken Armed?" - Deputy Jana Demperio
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 t…
#13 "Vigorous Talking" - Lieutenant Dave Stang
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 ag…
#12 "Buried Bodies, Scattered Skeletons" - Dr. Meredith Tise
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…
#11 "Beacon of Joy" - Sergeant Jimmy Fortner
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. …
#10 "Certainly Tenacious" - Sheriff Bob Gualtieri
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,” o…
#9 "Tactical Genius" - Sergeant Brian Diebold
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…
#8 "Pound for Pound" - Lieutenant Freddie Hayes
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 contradi…
#7 "Puddle People & Bubble Levels" - Rhonda Klein
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 d…
#6 "Insides Should Not Be on the Outside" - Deputy Jill Constant
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. Aft…
#5 "Press Hard 5 Copies" - Major Adrian Arnold
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-alo…
#4 "No Crystal Balls, Just Data" - Jacqueline Danzig
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 …
#3 "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" - Deputy Anthony LaCorte
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, LaCor…
#2 "Waco on the Withlacoochee" - Sergeant Mike Kilian
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 whic…
#1 "On the Shoulders of Giants" - Detective Ron Chalmers
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 S…
#0 What is 56?
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 Of…