When the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office gets a call that an alligator needs to be wrangled or loose livestock needs to be herded in Myakka City, Sgt. Rob Hendrickson is sent to the scene.
Counties throughout Florida have officers like Hendrickson who get the call on special cases that involve farming and agriculture.
Once a month, law enforcement and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers gather to share information as part of the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit. The unit is split into two chapters. North Florida is its own chapter, and South and Central Florida work together. The last meeting was Feb. 19 at the Sarasota County Farm Bureau…