4 Charlotte County deputies dismissed after internal affairs investigation  

A message from Sheriff Prummell on a recent Internal Affairs investigation that resulted in four deputies’ appointments being withdrawn:

“I have always said that the trust our community has in us is integral to the work we do. Unfortunately, four individuals violated that trust recently, and when that happens, I must act. In this circumstance, I felt the only appropriate option was to withdraw their appointments as deputies of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, as their trust had been lost.

While this decision was not one, I made lightly, our community needs to know that the men and women serving them are doing so with integrity and professionalism. If you have ever come to one of our monthly ceremonies, you know that I emphasize that these words are not just wall decorations around the agency – they are our way of life. Without integrity, you simply cannot work in law enforcement… at least not under my watch.

It is not often that I speak about an Internal Affairs investigation, but with this resulting in the dismissal of four members, I wanted to provide a little clarification to the community as to why. It is important to note that the men involved were not in violation of policy as it relates to the incident itself, but rather in the documentation of what happened. There was a conscious effort to conceal the incident for no other reason than laziness, which is where the integrity issue came in and ultimately resulted in the withdrawal of appointments.

The bottom line is that we have worked very hard to earn your trust, and I vow to work just as hard to keep it.

Be strong. Be safe. And never quit!”

– Sheriff Bill Prummell