Detention Bureau

MAJOR LETHBRIDGE  
Major Tim Lethbridge began his Law Enforcement career in 1991 with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, serving as a deputy sheriff. He became a field training deputy in 1994 and a negotiator with the Crisis Negotiation Team in 1996. In 1996 he was also promoted to detective in the Criminal Investigations Division and served in that capacity until his promotion to patrol sergeant in 2004. In 2005, he was promoted to lieutenant in the patrol division and subsequently served as the lieutenant responsible for the Criminal Investigations and Special Victims Units. In 2011 he was promoted to the position of Captain over the Criminal Investigations Division.
 
Major Lethbridge was selected to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and graduated with the 246th session in September 2011. He is a member of the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators, Florida Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and FBI National Academy Associates.
 
Major Lethbridge has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Cedarville University (1990) and graduated summa cum laude with a Masters of Science degree in Criminology from Florida State University in 2001.
 
The Detention Bureau's mission is to provide a safe, secure, functional and humane environment for staff and inmates, while operating professionally, respectfully, and efficiently. The Detention Bureau consists of a wide array of services and components that provide the basic care and custodial services for every person arrested. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility's inmate population consists of pre-trial, pre-sentenced, county and state sentenced males and females, as well as juvenile offenders who have been adjudicated as adults.
 
The Detention Bureau consists of three Divisions which provide Correctional services in one form or another.

In addition to these units, the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) is also supervised under Major Tim Lethbridge.  The CNT is a secondary duty comprised of members with other primary duties throughout the Sheriff’s Office.  Crisis Negotiators respond to hostage situations, barricaded subjects, and persons in crisis.  The negotiators are trained to calm and defuse tense situations in an effort to bring about peaceful resolutions and preserve life.


Information on Jail Visitation can be found here.
 
Click on links below for more information on a specific unit or division.