January 3, 2024
Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman announced the reopening of the agency’s south county office.
The office at 4531 Annex Road, Venice, will be open to the public and staffed by deputies Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., except on holidays, beginning Thursday, January 4, 2024. Residents and visitors in the southern part of the county can utilize this service as an alternative to online reporting or filing in person at our headquarters on Cattleridge Boulevard. “Residents and visitors have voiced their concern to me about a lack of walk-up services in the south county area for the last year. Currently, we are the only constitutional office that does not have a south county presence. I made this decision because 42% of our citizens in need of services come directly from those living south of Clark Road. These concerns, coupled with the unprecedented growth of south county over the last several years, make this an easy decision,” Hoffman said.
Citizens will be able to file reports with deputies in person for lost or damaged property, frauds and scams, theft, vandalism or forgery, or anything not requiring an emergency response. All emergencies should still be reported through 911. Additionally, at this location, citizens may drop off medications for proper disposal, have VIN verifications performed, conduct child custody exchanges, and post property bonds. Our online reporting tool is also available through the ‘File A Report’ tab on the sheriff’s office website for non-emergency reporting.
In 2019, citing fiscal concerns, personnel issues, and facility needs, the sheriff’s office closed the south county office – encouraging residents to call for a deputy’s response, utilize our general email address, or head directly to the agency’s headquarters, a considerable distance for some. Over the years, however, the public’s call to reopen the facility has increased due to the county’s growth. “I am grateful for the support we received from all five county commissioners, and going forward, we will collect data and evaluate future growth to determine whether we need to expand additional services or hours of operation in south county,” Sheriff Hoffman said.