TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The third lawsuit filed within a year against Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco alleges the department’s Intelligence Led Policing goes too far and violates the civil rights of the targets.
Eileen Kates claims the sheriff’s office harassed her with “warrantless searches” and minor offenses including “lack of proper numbering” on her home.
Kates alleges her son was on the county’s so-called “prolific offender” list due to his criminal record, so deputies also confronted her several times.
“The actual purpose of the ILP program is to force citizens with prior records to move,” the federal filing states.
Neither Kates nor her attorney have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Rachele Wilburn, who made similar allegations in a separate lawsuit, did move out of the county after she was arrested for minor offenses including not having numbers on her mailbox. The charges were dropped before Wilburn filed her lawsuit, but the veteran with no criminal record still spent time in jail.
“Walk into population and everyone said, ‘Oh, fresh meat. Look who’s coming in,'” Wilburn recalled, fighting back tears. “To be put in a cell for three hours – I felt so disgusted and so disrespected.”
The first lawsuit aimed at Pasco’s ILP was filed last March by the parents of another alleged target. Robert Jones III told 8 On Your Side the “harassment” was consistent.
“They came every single day,” Jones said.
Sheriff Nocco has declined several requests for interviews to discuss complaints about ILP. Spokesperson Amanda Hunter said the Pasco Sheriff’s Office continues to be “successful in defending against similar, frivolous lawsuits” and defended ILP.
“The ILP philosophy has led to a reduction in crime and reduction in victimization in our community,” Hunter said. “And we will not apologize for continued efforts to keep our community safe.”
Crime statistics obtained by 8 On Your Side show the overall crime rate in Pasco County is down 47 percent since Nocco implemented ILP around the time he took office in 2011. But violent crime is up by 16 percent during that decade, and domestic violence has spiked by 38 percent.
Kates’ lawsuit was filed earlier this month. Judges in the other cases have ordered mediation that is scheduled to start in April in Jones’ lawsuit and July for Wilburn’s case.
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