ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla (CBS12) — The Treasure Coast is rapidly transforming. Farmland is becoming subdivisions, traffic is thickening, and waterways are more crowded than ever. With that growth comes an urgent question: How is law enforcement keeping pace?
CBS12 News I-Team spent a day inside the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office — riding along on patrol, heading out on the water, and stepping inside a developing command center — for an up-close look at how deputies are adapting.
On Patrol: Growth Hits the Streets
In northern St. Lucie County, new neighborhoods seem to pop up overnight. Deputy Courtney Abrahamson, who grew up here, says the changes are impossible to ignore.
“It’s a tremendous amount of growth,” she explains. Deputies are keeping up, but the strain is showing — especially when it comes to manpower.
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The CBS12 News I-Team joins Deputy Courtney Abrahamson on patrol in northern St. Lucie County, where growth is reshaping daily calls. (WPEC)
Once quiet stretches like Lakewood Park and the Indrio Road corridor are now crowded with construction sites and families. With that surge comes heavier traffic, more congestion, and an uptick in crime. Property crimes are on the rise, especially thefts at construction sites. During our ridealong, Abrahamson responded to a call involving stolen airconditioning units from newly built homes — unfinished houses that make easy targets.
To stay ahead, deputies are leaning on new tools: drones, AEDs in patrol cars, and SmartForce, a system that tracks crime trends in real time. It helps them know exactly where to send patrols. Still, Abrahamson says the most important tool is trust — keeping that human connection with residents, no matter how fast the county grows.
On the Water: Marine Unit Faces Its Own Surge
More residents on land means more boaters offshore — and more emergencies.
Deputy Britt Reynolds with the Marine Unit says they’re seeing everything from kayakers caught in strong currents to people living full-time on boats. Their vessel is equipped with thermal cameras and night vision, critical for welfare checks and searches in the dark.
The unit handles drug enforcement, missing boaters, rescues, and even sex offender monitoring. And while daily patrols help deputies recognize what’s normal, migration attempts by sea are increasing — and getting harder to detect. Smuggling operations are becoming more sophisticated, Reynolds says, and deputies are racing to keep up.
Still, he notes the boating community plays a major role, often alerting deputies to suspicious activity before trouble escalates.
Deputy Britt Reynolds and CBS12’s Luli Ortiz aboard a Marine Unit vessel, discussing the surge in boating and enforcement needs. (WPEC)
Behind the Strategy: Reshaping the Sheriff’s Office for 2026 and Beyond
Sheriff Richard Del Toro says the department is undergoing major changes to prepare for the next wave of growth.
He’s reorganized patrol into 12 dedicated zones, giving deputies ownership of specific areas and strengthening relationships with residents and businesses. Each region now has its own captain and a deputy chief; a structure he says improves accountability and response.
Del Toro has also redirected resources — dissolving the traffic unit in favor of a new Special Investigations Division focused on narcotics and homeland security. The division works closely with the DEA and FBI.
CBS12’s Luli Ortiz with St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro inside the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, discussing how deputies are adapting to rapid growth. (WPEC)
A recent $1 million grant from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is allowing the agency to bolster waterway enforcement and invest in technology aimed at protecting the shoreline.
“It’s important for residents to know we have a plan to deal with the growth,” Del Toro says. “I have to deliver on it, or I won’t be sitting here in four years.”
Whether on the road or on the water, the Sheriff’s Office says its mission remains unchanged.
“We can’t stand the status quo,” Del Toro insists. “This agency is committed to making St. Lucie the safest county in the state of Florida.”
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