Hurricane Ian: Police Response Suspended In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — Because of high winds from Hurricane Ian’s impact on Southwest Florida, Sarasota police suspended their normal law enforcement response early Wednesday afternoon.

“In extreme safety situations, calls for services will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” Genevieve Judge, public information officer for the Sarasota Police Department, told Patch.

Mayor Erik Arroyo discussed the city pulling officer from the streets during an interview with CNN around noon.

• Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

"We just made the decision just now to withdraw all of our police officers from the streets just because of the sustained wind pressure that we've been having," he said.

In an 11 a.m. Facebook post, SPD said that officers were doing final checks throughout the city before Ian’s winds reached 45 mph, the point where the agency limits police response.

The agency also urged drivers to stay off the road while there are high winds.

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In a noon Facebook post, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said that other law enforcement and fire agencies in the counties will likely make similar decisions as the weather becomes more severe.

“Please bear with us and understand why some agencies may not be able to respond in coming hours,” said SCSO, which handles dispatch services for most law enforcement and fire departments in the county through its Public Safety Communications Center.

The sheriff's office added, “In the event of a cardiac arrest, choking, childbirth, unconscious person or severe hemorrhage, our center’s medical director will take over the call and provide as much guidance as possible.”