BUNNELL, FL – On Thursday, February 2, 2023, FCSO Agriculture/Ranch Deputy First Class Steve Williams and SJSO Agriculture Deputy Mike Pedonti were sworn in to be dually certified in both counties. Both deputies had previously been “lone rangers” patrolling the unique border areas of Flagler Estates, a rural community in Northwest Flagler and Southwest St. Johns County.
Beginning today, both deputies will be able to assist with calls for service and make arrests in either county. They were sworn in at the Flagler Estates Community Center in Hastings in a joint swearing-in by Sheriff Rick Staly and Sheriff Robert Hardwick.
L-R: FCSO Agriculture Deputy First Class Steve Williams, SJSO Sheriff Robert Hardwick, FCSO Sheriff Rick Staly, SJSO Agriculture Deputy Mike Pedonti
“This area has been an area that seems to attract criminal and nuisance activity for years and because it is located in a very rural area of both counties it was hard to police,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “In our case, we actually had to enter St. Johns County to access the many dirt roads in the Flagler County side of Flagler Estates. Over the years, unruly parties, underage drinking, stolen vehicles, trespassing, and people shooting FPL’s electric lines were occurring. It is our hope that working together we can tame this community, have faster response times and make it safer for everyone without having to worry about boundary lines.”
“It is important to the success of The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) to have great relationships with our touching counties. This particular partnership with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office will enable SJSO to better provide first class customer service to the southwest portion of our county,” said Sheriff Robert Hardwick. “We are looking forward to this continued cooperation between our two agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens.”