Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri addressing the Florida Association of Counties legislative conference in Tampa on Nov. 19, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)
TAMPA — Legislation signed into Florida law in 2022 that changed how long juveniles can be held in pre-trial detention before adjudicatory hearings has led to a “drastic reduction” in crimes such as auto robberies, a top law enforcement official said Wednesday.
“There were kids 13, 14, 15-years-old prolifically across Florida who were out stealing cars, breaking into cars, breaking into cars taking guns, and it’s a big problem,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, speaking during the Florida Association of Counties legislative conference in Tampa…