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The Florida Senate

2018 Florida Statutes

SECTION 15
Powers, duties, and obligations.
F.S. 30.15
30.15 Powers, duties, and obligations.
(1) Sheriffs, in their respective counties, in person or by deputy, shall:
(a) Execute all process of the Supreme Court, circuit courts, county courts, and boards of county commissioners of this state, to be executed in their counties.
(b) Execute such other writs, processes, warrants, and other papers directed to them, as may come to their hands to be executed in their counties.
(c) Attend all sessions of the circuit court and county court held in their counties.
(d) Execute all orders of the boards of county commissioners of their counties, for which services they shall receive such compensation, out of the county treasury, as said boards may deem proper.
(e) Be conservators of the peace in their counties.
(f) Suppress tumults, riots, and unlawful assemblies in their counties with force and strong hand when necessary.
(g) Apprehend, without warrant, any person disturbing the peace, and carry that person before the proper judicial officer, that further proceedings may be had against him or her according to law.
(h) Have authority to raise the power of the county and command any person to assist them, when necessary, in the execution of the duties of their office; and, whoever, not being physically incompetent, refuses or neglects to render such assistance, shall be punished by imprisonment in jail not exceeding 1 year, or by fine not exceeding $500.
(i) Be, ex officio, timber agents for their counties.
(j) Perform such other duties as may be imposed upon them by law.
(k) Establish, if the sheriff so chooses, a Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program to aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises. A school guardian has no authority to act in any law enforcement capacity except to the extent necessary to prevent or abate an active assailant incident on a school premises. Excluded from participating in the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program are individuals who exclusively perform classroom duties as classroom teachers as defined in s. 1012.01(2)(a). This limitation does not apply to classroom teachers of a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, a current servicemember, as defined in s. 250.01, or a current or former law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), (6), or (8). The sheriff who chooses to establish the program shall appoint as school guardians, without the power of arrest, school employees who volunteer and who:
1. Hold a valid license issued under s. 790.06.
2. Complete 132 total hours of comprehensive firearm safety and proficiency training conducted by Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission-certified instructors, which must include:
a. Eighty hours of firearms instruction based on the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission’s Law Enforcement Academy training model, which must include at least 10 percent but no more than 20 percent more rounds fired than associated with academy training. Program participants must achieve an 85 percent pass rate on the firearms training.
b. Sixteen hours of instruction in precision pistol.
c. Eight hours of discretionary shooting instruction using state-of-the-art simulator exercises.
d. Eight hours of instruction in active shooter or assailant scenarios.
e. Eight hours of instruction in defensive tactics.
f. Twelve hours of instruction in legal issues.
3. Pass a psychological evaluation administered by a psychologist licensed under chapter 490 and designated by the Department of Law Enforcement and submit the results of the evaluation to the sheriff’s office. The Department of Law Enforcement is authorized to provide the sheriff’s office with mental health and substance abuse data for compliance with this paragraph.
4. Submit to and pass an initial drug test and subsequent random drug tests in accordance with the requirements of s. 112.0455 and the sheriff’s office.
5. Successfully complete ongoing training, weapon inspection, and firearm qualification on at least an annual basis.
6. Successfully complete at least 12 hours of a certified nationally recognized diversity training program.

The sheriff shall issue a school guardian certificate to individuals who meet the requirements of subparagraph 2. The sheriff shall maintain documentation of weapon and equipment inspections, as well as the training, certification, inspection, and qualification records of each school guardian appointed by the sheriff.

(2) Sheriffs, in their respective counties, in person or by deputy, shall, at the will of the board of county commissioners, attend, in person or by deputy, all meetings of the boards of county commissioners of their counties, for which services they shall receive such compensation, out of the county treasury, as said boards may deem proper.
(3) On or before January 1, 2002, every sheriff shall incorporate an antiracial or other antidiscriminatory profiling policy into the sheriff’s policies and practices, utilizing the Florida Police Chiefs Association Model Policy as a guide. Antiprofiling policies shall include the elements of definitions, traffic stop procedures, community education and awareness efforts, and policies for the handling of complaints from the public.
History.s. 14, ch. 4, 1845; ss. 1, 4, ch. 157, 1848; s. 9, ch. 1626, 1868; ss. 1, 2, ch. 1659, 1868; RS 650, 651, 653, 1241, 1242, 2583; GS 991, 992, 994, 1670, 1671, 3503; RGS 1804, 1805, 1807, 2875, 2876, 5388; CGL 2856, 2857, 2859, 4572, 4573, 7527; s. 4, ch. 22790, 1945; s. 4, ch. 73-334; s. 1, ch. 91-95; s. 179, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 2001-264; s. 5, ch. 2013-25; s. 5, ch. 2018-3.
Note.Former ss. 144.01-144.03, 30.16.