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An enforcer proposes a law

By JEFF WEBB
Published March 12, 2006

Stacy Sharp spent six years in the U.S. Navy and has been a road deputy with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office for eight. He has an associate of arts degree in criminal justice and a bachelor of arts degree in criminology.

Now Sharp says he is getting an education like none other in his life.

"Passing a law is not quite as easy as Schoolhouse Rock made it sound," said Sharp, referring to the animated educational vignettes set to music and popularized in the 1970s.

But the 35-year-old law enforcer's venture into lawmaking has been more successful than his modest humor conveys. And, if that streak continues, Florida soon may become a safer place for those who are victims of physical violence.

Like most patrol deputies, Sharp routinely responds to complaints of domestic violence, sometimes as many as two or three a day. As a law enforcement officer, his job is to gather facts and evidence to determine if a crime has been committed, assist the victim and charge the assailant accordingly.

Besides painful bruises and cuts, one type of abuse deputies see - almost exclusively on women - is strangulation. Squeezing the neck to stop the flow of air and blood is a technique of choice among those pseudo-tough guys who attack women and children in pathetic pursuit of their elusive manhood.

Deputies can't always see signs that a woman has been strangled, Sharp said. The reddened skin, abrasions and bruising aren't visible in about 20 percent of victims. Deputies are trained to look for other signs, such as a raspy voice and difficulty swallowing.

When they can prove it, though, officers include it in the charges against the suspect, which brings us to the problem Sharp is working hard to address.

You see, attempting to strangle another human being is a relatively petty crime in Florida. It is classified as simple battery, which is a misdemeanor. It's the equivalent of poking someone in the chest or pulling their hair. As most reasonable people would agree, cutting off the air and blood supplies to the brain is a considerably more severe offense.

Sharp wants to strengthen the law by making Florida the eighth state to designate strangulation as a felony.

"Felonies get everybody's attention," Sharp said, explaining the effect that the more serious charge has on the assailant, prosecutors and judges. A felony can increase the amount of bail set for the alleged attacker, making it more difficult for him to get out of jail and pose a threat to his victim again. And if someone is convicted of felony strangulation, "they can be incarcerated longer," Sharp said.

With the blessing and encouragement of his boss, Sheriff Richard Nugent, Sharp took it upon himself to take his quest to Tallahassee.

After making a presentation to Hernando County's state legislative delegation in December, Sharp drew up proposed language to amend Florida Statute 784.041. His proposal was introduced in the House by Rep. David Russell Jr., R-Brooksville, and the Senate by Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and is wending its way through the committee review process. Just last week it cleared the House Criminal Justice Committee, where Sharp testified, with a 6-0 vote. Barring any unforeseen objections, House Bill 815 (companion Senate Bill 2150) will be approved, signed by the governor and become law Oct. 1.

Although Sharp has done most of the legwork on this bill, he is quick to praise Sheriff Nugent for making it possible.

The Sheriff's Office "has a very aggressive, very thorough policy about responding to domestic violence complaints," Sharp said. The policy, which Sharp says he was the "point man" on when it was rewritten a few years ago, is spelled out in writing and makes protecting victims its top priority.

Further proof of that commitment from Nugent, Sharp said, is that a detective, Liz Clifton, is assigned full time to handle domestic violence cases, and the department's use of a victim advocate, Tamara Stewart. Both those positions were created with federal grant money.

Sharp also conducts periodic classroom training for patrol deputies, who learn the latest investigative and interviewing techniques, as well as basic terminology, such as the difference between being strangled and choked. ("You "choke' on an inanimate object. Only a person can "strangle' you," he said, explaining a common misnomer.)

Rep. Russell heaped deserved praise on how Sharp has handled himself during his dealings in Tallahassee.

"He's been extremely well-received in Tallahassee," Russell said. "Obviously, there's a loophole in the law, and (Sharp) makes a compelling case from the grass roots level of someone who has experience dealing with the issue."

Funny, that's just the way it worked on Schoolhouse Rock.

Jeff Webb can be reached at webb@sptimes.com or 352 754-6123.

[Last modified March 12, 2006, 01:18:21]