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Pasco expands post‑storm unlicensed‑contractor enforcement; sheriff and building staff report recent arrests
Summary
County building officials and Pasco Sheriff's Office detectives described enforcement activity against unlicensed contractors after recent storms, and the county proposed adding civilian inspectors to partner with deputies for post‑storm enforcement.
Pasco County building construction staff and detectives from the Pasco Sheriff's Office told commissioners Sept. 16 they have stepped up enforcement against unlicensed contractors who target storm‑damaged properties.
JP Murphy, director of building construction services, said the sheriff's office and state insurance investigators were active after the storms, but the county's own minimum‑standards inspectors were focused on recovery tasks and damage assessments. He said the county will add two civilian unlicensed‑contractor inspectors to partner with sheriff's detectives and that procurement for post‑storm recovery services will include contractor tracking as an area of emphasis.
Pasco Detective Chase Daniels said unlicensed‑contract enforcement remains active: detectives made 44 arrests in the prior year, and investigators continue to work cases that may involve multiple victims; at the time of the meeting 23 cases were pending with the state attorney's office. Murphy and Daniels told the board two contractor prosecutions alone had more than 280 victims and about $2.6 million in recovery, underscoring the county's rationale for enforcement.
Commissioner Mariano asked for better data sharing with state inspectors so county staff can learn from the state Office of Insurance Regulation's post‑storm investigations. Murphy and Daniels agreed to pursue improved data collection and to expand the civilian inspector role so county staff can provide more continuous field coverage, including weekends.
Action: A commissioner moved to approve continuation/expansion of the unlicensed‑contractor enforcement program as presented; the board voted to approve the item during the consent discussion.
Why it matters: Unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors working after storms pose health, safety and financial risks to homeowners and add costs for legitimate contractors. County staff said a mix of local enforcement, state insurance investigators and sheriff detectives is necessary to identify and prosecute major cases.
What’s next: Staff said they will seek to improve data sharing with state inspectors and add the proposed civilian inspector positions to partner with the sheriff for post‑storm enforcement.
