CLEWISTON, FL. -- Charles White of Clewiston, Florida is an Agricultural Unit Sergeant with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and was elected as President of the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit (FACIU) at their annual training seminar in Daytona Beach on May 16.
FACIU is a Non-Profit organization made up of law enforcement officers in the specialized field of agricultural related crimes investigations with the purpose of sharing information on crimes affecting the agricultural communities throughout the great State of Florida.
The Intelligence Unit began in 1978 with the gathering of agricultural deputies from several counties along
with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. By 1980, these meetings evolved into an intelligence exchange unit known as the Florida Citrus and Cattle Intelligence Unit. In 1985, the organization changed its name to the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit.
Ag Deputies are responsible for the investigation of a wide variety of farming, ranching and agricultural related crimes that can be anything from theft of livestock, plants, farm equipment, fuel or metal to trespassing, improper use of four-wheelers, illegal dumping, loose livestock on the highway.
The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office offers a county-wide farm/ranch watch program that works in the same
way as a neighborhood crime watch. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has two full time Ag Deputies and
three part-time Reserves that are hands-on with ranchers, farmers and land owners introducing ways to
secure equipment, sheds, vehicles, produce and livestock in order to deter crime.
Sergeant White began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a Fish and Wildlife Officer, serving in Broward,
Collier and Hendry County. In 1982, he joined US Sugar as Captain of Security. In 1998, this Captain of Security was converted into a contracted law enforcement position through the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office where White continued serving as an Agricultural Investigator and in 2009 was promoted to Sergeant of the Ag Unit.
Sergeant White said he is honored to serve as the unit’s President and proud to represent Hendry County.
White has been a member of FACIU since 1984 and served as last year’s President of the Southern States
Livestock and Recovery Enforcement Association, which consists of Law Enforcement Officers across the
Nation. White’s first action, as FACIU President is for the unit to participate in the Florida Cattlemen’s
Association Convention in Marco Island during the week of June 17.
The Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit website partnered with the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement and is shared under the Florida Fusion Center Network site. If you are looking for an Ag Deputy in your county or wish to join FACIU, contact your local law enforcement agency and ask to speak with one of Ag Deputies.
As a member of the Southwest Florida Large Animal Rescue Team, Sergeant White (black shirt/cowboy hat) assisted with the rescue of a horse that had fallen into a ditch bank along the river and couldn’t get out on her own. They were able to hoist the horse out of the ditch and after being checked out by a local Vet, the horse was walked home by her owner.
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