Pasco Sheriff’s Office settles lawsuit over controversial data-driven policing program

Settlement reached in Pasco policing lawsuit

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen reports on the Pasco Sheriff's Office reaching a settlement in a lawsuit over its controversial data-driven policing program.

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - The Pasco Sheriff's Office has settled a lawsuit over its controversial data-driven policing program. Plaintiffs had argued deputies harassed them and violated their first amendment rights, and their attorneys said the program unlawfully targeted citizens deemed at risk of committing crimes.

From May 2015 to May 2016, Robert Jones said the sheriff's office visited his home hundreds of times. Deputies arrested his juvenile son 16 times, and he was arrested six times.

"One was for resisting arrest. One was for an ordinance violation for overgrown grass. One was for the numbers on the side of my house, which I was renting," Jones said, who was a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The visits were part of Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco's data-driven policing program known as the "Prolific Offender Program."

"The whole idea was they could use a computer algorithm to identify people who would commit crimes not in the past, but in the future," said Jones' attorney Robert Johnson. "Then they would show up at those people's houses, and they would harass them, they would harass their families."

Jones' juvenile son was identified as a prolific offender after he got in a fight and had to switch schools. Jones said the visits were traumatizing for his young kids.

"They'd literally bang on the windows and doors," Jones said. "My little girl would be hiding in the room on the phone with me. 'Dad, there's a bunch of cops outside. And these cops, I can hear them screaming, Hey, little girl, we see you hiding in the closet. Come and talk to us.'"

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Jones and three others sued PSO, arguing deputies violated their first, fourth and 14th amendment rights. On Wednesday, both sides reached a settlement. The sheriff's office agreed to pay the plaintiffs $105,000 and do away with the program.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office released the following statement in response to the settlement:

"The Pasco Sheriff’s Office will never apologize for keeping our community safe and holding those who victimize our community accountable for their actions.

It is important to note that this is the final case tied to the false reporting alleged by former members of the Sheriff’s Office who were held accountable and disciplined for their actions. In all previous cases, courts ruled in favor of the Sheriff’s Office and, in this case, a court also found that the Sheriff’s Office written policies were constitutional.

To be clear, this activist group from outside our community represented four individuals and this is related to these four individuals only.

As a steward of taxpayer dollars, the Sheriff must adhere to that responsibility and, when presented with a financially minimal settlement agreement of $105,000, which is significantly lower than anticipated attorney costs for trial which could have reached millions of dollars, accepting the settlement was the best decision for the taxpayers of Pasco County. This was strictly a financial decision that was best for the taxpayers who fund our operations and will be paid for by the Florida Sheriff's Association Risk Management Fund.

We continue to protect and serve our community and will continue to be tough on crime and make sure those who victimize our community will be held accountable. We will, again, never apologize for keeping our community safe."

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