The dress code was more collar and harness than cap and gown, but these three Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) K-9s have graduated from school and, along with their handlers, are ready to start patrolling to help track and apprehend criminals. Newly graduated are Deputy Anthony Ashworth with K-9 Digo, Deputy Richard Bynum with K-9 Rogue, and Deputy Jason Whidby with K-9 Gunther.

“K-9 school is physically and mentally challenging,” said Deputy Bynum. “The training is ever evolving, so how you did it today might not be the way you do it tomorrow. One of the hardest aspects of the school is you have to be able to flip the switch in a split second. No matter what is going on in your life, you must put it aside and be engaged with your pup. You have to go from giving a stern correction to a goofy praise voice. Every exercise is a new day. If your last training exercise didn’t go well, you have to forget about it and the next one is a fresh start.”

This is especially important, Deputy Whidby says, because the dogs easily pick up on their handler’s emotions. “These dogs are highly intelligent, and your energy affects their performance,” Deputy Whidby said. “If I make a mistake and dwell on it, it can have a detrimental effect on training.” It can be a hard skill to master.

Deputy Bynum has previous experience as a K-9 handler from another agency, so he is a natural fit in the PCSO Canine Unit. He says K-9 Rogue has the perfect balance of energy and level-headedness. Rogue has prior experience with a different handler and is older for a working dog, but at six years old he has a level of maturity that Deputy Bynum values, so they make a great team. “Rogue is an incredible dog and partner. He is easy to read and will let you know what he wants and needs. He shows nothing but love and affection to his family. I’m blessed to have the honor of being his handler.”

Deputy Whidby is completely new to training law enforcement dogs and appreciates the support he received from the other members of the unit. “The Canine Unit is a very close-knit group with a strong sense of camaraderie. Everyone in the unit is passionate about what they do.” He has high praise for Canine Unit Sergeant Mike Kilian, Corporal Paul Martin, and Corporal Justin Fineberg. “Lastly, but certainly not least, the K-9 school instructor, Deputy Johnathan Harr, has been so helpful in giving me the tools I need in my journey as a new handler. His passion for K-9 is demonstrated in every training exercise we engage in. I’m honored to be a part of the PCSO K-9 family.”

Deputy Ashworth began his K-9 career working with one of our two bloodhounds, Duke, who along with his brother Holmes can track elusive scents that are hours old. Now he works with K-9 Digo, who he says is eager to get to work from the moment he wakes up. Until he can catch the bad guys, he runs laps in the back yard chasing lizards. Like the rest of our dogs, he’s all business when he’s working, then a happy, playful puppy when he’s off duty.

That’s something a lot of people don’t understand about PCSO’s dogs – because of the way they’re trained, with praise and play and positive reinforcement instead of compulsion, they’re not mean. “They will fight with everything they have and then turn around and want hugs,” said Deputy Bynum. “They show unblinking courage and unwavering loyalty.”

Though trained by the same methods, the nuances of training are tailored to each individual dog and handler. Some work better on a shorter lead, some on a longer one. Some track with their nose to the ground, while others like to cast for scent with their head up. Each dog has its own unique body language that their handler learns to read, to know when they’re confused about a track or have zeroed in on the scent.

And as anyone who has lived with dogs knows, each has its own unique, sometimes quirky personality. Digo will attack his water bowl for the sheer joy of seeing the water slosh out. Rogue loves ice cubes, hates thunder, and barks in his sleep, dreaming of catching bad guys. Gunther loves the smell of opossums and armadillos, but the first time he met a cricket he jumped in the air like a kangaroo.

Though this class has graduated, their training isn’t over yet. “K-9 school is a long road that doesn’t end at graduation,” said Deputy Whidby. “Maintaining your skills and working on new ones is a job that’s never finished. The K-9 teams train every day they work.”

Before getting into the Canine Unit, Deputy Bynum heard that there is a very special bond between handlers and their dogs, and among the members of the team. He found it to be true at PCSO. “The members of this unit are a family. Our supervisors have proven time and again they are no exception to this. They lead by example and are the glue that holds the team together.”



That connection is only natural. “The bond among handlers is so strong because we trust each other with our lives,” said Deputy Bynum. “We trust each other with our dog’s lives. People see our K-9 partners when they are finished products. Only another handler truly understands the literal blood, sweat, and tears that go into making them that way. What an honor to be a member of this unit.”

There are plenty of ways to get scammed when trying to make a purchase online – you could have your credit card or personal information stolen, you could pay top dollar and receive knock-off luxury brands, or you could receive nothing at all. Some people try to avoid that by shopping on local marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, NextDoor, or OfferUp, where they can meet the seller in person, pay cash, and examine the thing they are buying. But that method has plenty of risks too. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, take precautions when meeting to keep yourself and your finances safe.

Although most local marketplace transactions are on the up and up, the tempting offer you respond to could be from someone looking not just to scam you, but to rob you. If you are a buyer, they know you are bringing cash to a designated location. If you are a seller, they might snatch what you’re selling without paying for it. Though these crimes are rare, they do happen.

To keep yourself safer, make sure you meet them in the daytime in a public place. Choose a location where there are people and cameras, such as the parking lot of a grocery store or mall. Park near, but not directly next to other vehicles so that they don’t offer concealment or block the view of security cameras. Or meet inside a public business you are familiar with, such as a fast-food restaurant or a coffee shop. To be extra safe, you can meet in the parking lot of a law enforcement agency.

Wherever you choose to meet, let someone know where you will be. Give a friend or family member any information you may have about the buyer or seller. It is a good idea to bring someone with you, too. Simply having another person there will reduce the chance that illegal activity will occur. Once you make a plan to meet, do not change the time or location at the last minute.

Do a little research on the person you are meeting. You may be able to learn their full name from their profile, do a reverse phone number lookup, or do a reverse image search on their profile pictures to get accurate information and check for red flags. Bring your phone to the meeting. You might want to take a photo of the person or their vehicle, including their tag – even if you are a little surreptitious about it – to have more information in case something goes wrong. You could also record the interaction.

Although it enhances your safety to know something about the person you are going to meet up with, don’t let them know more than necessary about you. Don’t share personal information, such as your home address, or tell them too much about your schedule or family.

Most people use cash for these local marketplace transactions. Cash reduces the opportunity of a scammer misusing your credit card information, but it presents its own risks. Don’t carry much more cash than you need for the purchase, and have the exact amount somewhere separate so it is easy to hand over without fumbling in a wallet and flashing other bills and cards.

Agree on the terms beforehand so there is no haggling later, and examine the item closely to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You might get a $500 item for $400 if it is used, but you probably won’t get it for $100. If you can’t believe the price, there is probably a scam hiding somewhere. Open boxes to make sure everything is inside, and test electronics if possible. Beware of slight-of-hand – if you try on a ring and then the seller puts it back in a box, make sure they aren’t giving you an empty box in the final transaction.

If anything about the meeting makes you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts and cancel, or simply walk away. Call 911 if anything criminal occurs while you are there, and if you later discover that you are a victim of a scam, call our non-emergency number (727-582-6200) to report it. Most of the time, both buyers and sellers are honest people, but a few precautions can help keep you safe when criminals are afoot.