The Bay County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit consists of two OH-58 helicopters that were obtained at very little cost from the military surplus system. A forward looking infrared radar (FLIR) that is valued at $106,000 was also obtained throughout a grant from the federal government. The FLIR uses heat differential instead of light and is essential in all aspects of the aviation unit mission. The unit has two full time pilots, five certified FLIR operators and a number of trained observers. The Air Unit is under the Command of Captain David Baldwin and Supervised by
Sgt. Ken Smiley.
The FLIR operators were chosen from other divisions within the Sheriff's office to include FSD, SID and CID. They are state trained and certified and are an extremely important part of the aviation unit. The observers are department trained and are equally valuable to the unit.
The Sheriff's Office helicopters are a very valuable lifesaving asset. They are used in search and rescue both over the land and the water. They have been instrumental in locating lost children, Alzheimer patients and overdue boaters, just to mention a few examples. The helicopters are also important in the war on drugs for surveillance and in the marijuana eradication effort. The number of marijuana plants located in the county has dropped from approximately 1,800 plants a year to about 200 plants. In many cases, those persons growing the marijuana have moved to locations where aircraft cannot intervene. The helicopters are also used for community service in areas such as the Red Ribbon Week where they are a big hit with the children learning about the pitfalls of drugs.
The aviation unit works closely with the Swat Team, Dive Team, K-9 Unit, Patrol,SID and CID in the accomplishment of their missions. The aviation unit is also sent to other counties for mutual aid when they can be used to save a life, help prevent a major crime, or capture a dangerous criminal. The unit has also been used by the U.S. Air Force for search and rescue and accident investigation. They also work closely with FDLE, DEA and Customs.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is made up of highly trained members from multiple divisions who serve as divers in addition to their everyday duties. The team specializes in a wide range of waterborne operations designed to support criminal investigations, public safety, and partner agencies.
The Bay County Sheriffs Office, Honor Guard is an 8 member unit comprised of Sworn Officers from all divisions of the Agency to include Corrections. Its mission is to enhance the professional image of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and falls under direct command of Captain Mike Branning.
The unit’s first priority is to honor and pay respects to fallen Officers and their families. Our members dedicate their personal time to attend funerals and memorial services for our Brothers and Sisters in Law Enforcement, Fire Services and EMS that have lost their lives protecting and serving our citizens and our communities.
The 8 member team also honors fallen officer by performing a 21 Gun Salute and the playing of Taps. Members are also called upon through out the year to present the colors at special events.
In the Spring of each year, Honor Guard Members participate in the Bay County Sheriffs Office Memorial and Awards Ceremony at the Sheriffs Office. This is to represent our department with hundreds of other departments during the Spring, who Honor and pay tribute to the men and women who have served and sacrificed to make our society safer. We have continued to honor our own fallen officers by laying a Wreath honoring their sacrifice for their communities during the Memorial and Awards Ceremony.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit is a group of deputies specially trained in handling dogs for locating criminal suspects, narcotics, explosives or missing people. The K-9 Unit currently consists of four deputies and five dogs, including two German Shepherds, one Blood Hound, one Belgian Malinois and a Black Labrador.
Each K-9 deputy is required to have a minimum of 400 hours training in the handling of these special animals. In addition, ongoing training is conducted in narcotics, explosives and search and rescue. The dogs live with their handlers, and this helps form a closer working relationship, enabling the deputies to be familiar with every aspect of the dogs’ behavior. The dogs ride along with the deputies in their normal patrol zone, and they may be requested to assist deputies as well as other agencies when K-9 support is requested
This is a dog’s primary sense, and it is much stronger than a human’s. Where humans have 5-10 million olfactory cells, a K-9 has 220 million!
K-9’s see much better at night than humans, giving them a greater ability to sense movement. Their color vision is limited
A working K-9 can run up to 30 mph
K-9’s can jump very high and get into places humans cannot safely enter.
Each year thousands of locals and tourists visit the beautiful beaches and waters of the Emerald Coast. This is one of the reasons the Bay County Sheriff's Office has law enforcement service on the waterways. Utilizing a 27' Boston Whaler patrol vessel, deputies patrol the heavy boating areas of the county and are prepared to render assistance or enforcement wherever it is needed.
The Gulf of Mexico and Bay County waterways are especially active area's for vacationers, residents, and fishermen alike.
With commercial and recreational vessels, the waters of Bay County can be extremely busy at times, we want everyone
to have fun, but also remember to be safe and responsible. It is your duty as a boater to know and observe the boating rules and practices to prevent collisions, injuries, and death.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team is an elite, highly trained unit comprised of nineteen operators. Established in 1981, the team responds to the most dangerous and high-risk incidents—situations that demand advanced training, specialized equipment, and tactics beyond standard law enforcement capabilities.
As part of the Florida Domestic Security Task Force – Region 1, the BCSO SWAT Team provides specialized support across a ten-county area in Northwest Florida when requested.
SWAT personnel train year-round to maintain peak operational readiness. Members complete rigorous training and advanced specialty courses covering a wide range of tactical disciplines, including:
This continuous training ensures the team remains prepared for any critical incident.
The BCSO SWAT Team is recognized for its professionalism and commitment to public safety. The unit routinely assists local, state, and federal partners, including:
Most SWAT deployments involve high-risk search and arrest warrants, particularly those involving firearms or threats of violence. The team also responds to hostage situations, barricaded individuals, and other critical incidents requiring specialized tactical response.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office maintains a federally accredited Bomb Squad staffed by a highly trained four-member team. As the primary squad for Florida Domestic Security Task Force – Region 1, our unit provides specialized coverage across 10 counties in Northwest Florida.
All Bomb Squad members are HAZMAT-certified and complete intensive training at the FBI Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama, where they graduate as federally certified Bomb Technicians.
The Bomb Squad responds to a wide range of hazardous incidents, including:
The unit conducts criminal investigations involving:
Our Bomb Technicians are trained and equipped with state-of-the-art tools, including:
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office sUAS (Small Unmanned Aerial Systems) Unit consists of approximately 16 FAA Part 107–certified operators assigned across the Field Services Division, Criminal Investigations/Crime Scene Unit, and the Jail Facility.
The unit maintains a fleet of seven Teledyne FLIR SIRAS sUAS and two Skydio X10 sUAS platforms, all equipped with 640 x 512 resolution FLIR Boson® thermal cameras. These trained operators respond to calls for service such as missing persons, natural disasters, and K-9 tracking operations, providing critical situational awareness that enhances safety and speedy resolution. Team members also receive periodic refresher training on Florida law,
FAA regulatory updates, constitutional considerations, and relevant case law as it pertains to UAS Usage.
BCSO operates under Part 107 regulations and holds an FAA Part 91 Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver, providing enhanced flexibility for missions. The unit also has inflatable water-rescue drop systems to support rapid intervention during water emergencies until surf-rescue teams arrive.
Most operators have completed advanced training through BCSO’s partnership with the Gulf Coast State College Technology Center for Emergency Response. The sUAS Unit also supports UAS-related investigations, public education, and airspace compliance issues involving critical infrastructure and community complaints.
3421 N Highway 77
Panama City, FL 32405
5700 Star Lane
Panama City, FL 32404
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