Biased Based Profiling Addressed

This information statement is provided for the purpose of community education and awareness.

The Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement and related services to the citizens and visitors of Wakulla County. To accomplish this, deputies must be observant, identify unusual occurrences and law violations using reasonable suspicion, and act upon them. It is this proactive enforcement that keeps our citizens and our roads safer. It further enables us to detect and apprehend criminals.

One of the more controversial issues facing law enforcement is the perception that law enforcement officers enforce traffic laws based on a driver having a certain trait common to a group.

At the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the issue of bias-based profiling has been addressed and it is the position of the sheriff that all laws shall be enforced equally, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, age, cultural group or any other identifiable group. Bias-based profiling shall not be tolerated in enforcement efforts. The WCSO prohibits its members from using bias-based profiling during traffic stops or field contacts as well as asset seizure and forfeiture efforts.

Bias-based profiling issues, including legal aspects, are provided to sworn members of the agency during in-service training in accordance with the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC) requirements. Agency policy prohibits bias-based profiling. Members of the WCSO are responsible for ensuring all citizens of the community are treated with dignity and respect.