Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

The largest of the three correctional facilities the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department operates is the Main Detention Center.[2] Three towers make up the center, The South Tower, The East Tower, and The West Tower.[3] The largest is The South Tower, the building was constructed in 1993 from concrete and steel with a cost of $52 million.[4] The East and West Towers were built in 1983; they now flank the South, completing the Main Detention Center.[5]

The Main Detention Center's primary usage is to hold high risk inmates, federal inmates, and those inmates who are in need of special medical attention and/or are unable to operate at other facilities.[6] The total number of beds at the facility is 2,166. The South Tower can hold 1,285 inmates, East has 418 beds, and The West has 404 beds.[7]

The Communications department at the PBSO consists of over 180 employees.[8] There are four call centers that operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year taking in over a million calls annually.[9] The centers are located in Headquarters in West Palm Beach, the Courthouse Command Center, Belle Glade - District 5, and the Palm Beach International Airport.[10] Texting to 911 is also an option for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a speech impediment, or are in an emergency situation where voice call is not possible.[11]

The Domestic Violence Unit consists of a sergeant, two detectives and 5 domestic violence advocates.[12] The advocates are trained to help and assist victims of domestic violence filing the petition and be with them throughout the legal process as support consultants.[13]

The first step to becoming a Sheriff is submitting a physical test called the "Basic Motor Skills Test" where a trainer will determine how physically fit the candidate is.[14] After the physical testing has been completed and the requirements are submitted, the application process begins.[15] If the Sheriff's Office feels as if the applicant can contribute they will bring them in for various tests, such as a polygraph test and drug test, as well as multiple psychiatric interviews.[16] If all tests are passed, the applicant is invited to the Criminal Justice Academy where different situations are proposed with the invitees acting as a Sheriff in these instances to prepare the aspiring Sheriffs to be ready for many different situations.[17] The Academy takes about 22 weeks to complete, after that they are sworn into the PBSO.[18]

The Sheriff's Office is composed of roughly 4,186 employees, including approximately 1,584 sworn law enforcement personnel, 697 sworn corrections personnel, 1,905 civilian personal and 1,800 volunteers.[25] The annual operating budget for the PBSO is approximately $620,000,000. Since January 2005, Ric L. Bradshaw has been sheriff for Palm Beach County with 45 years of law enforcement experience.[26]

A PBSO cruiser in West Palm Beach

Currently PBSO provides law enforcement services to three regional patrol bureaus, North, South and Western.[27]

Sheriff Bradshaw's highest-level Executive staff consists of the following individuals:[28]

• George B. Baker (1909 - 1920)[29]
• Robert C. Baker (1920 - 1923, 1924 - 1931)
• Edwin Albert Stephenson (1923)
• William Hiram Lawrence (1931 - 1933, 1934 - 1941)
• Jack S.Willson (1933)
• Lucian Raymond “Jack” Baker (1941 - 1945)
• John F. Kirk (1945 - 1960)
• Martin Kellenberger (1961, 1962 - 1967)
• Peter Widener (1961)
• Clinton E. Taylor (1962)
• William Heidtman (1967 - 1976)
• Richard P. Wille (1977 - 1995)
• Charles McCutcheon (1995 - 1996)
• Bob Neumann (1997 - 2000)
• Ed Bieluch (2001 - 2004)
• Ric L. Bradshaw (2005–present)

• Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office website
• The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation website