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Commissioners ask governor to appoint special prosecutor after sign‑theft arrests bonded out of state
Summary
After the sheriff described arrests in another state for stolen stop signs and subsequent bond reductions, commissioners voted to send a letter asking the governor to appoint a special prosecutor, saying they were frustrated by the state attorney’s handling of the case.
County officials told commissioners about an investigation into stolen street and stop signs taken during spring break. The sheriff explained investigators identified suspects in another state, obtained warrants and coordinated with campus police, and the group was arrested and transported back toward Gulf County. The sheriff said the arrests were followed by a bond change that allowed the suspects to bond out.
Several commissioners expressed frustration with the state attorney’s office for intervening in bond conditions and for proposing diversion or PTI (pretrial intervention) rather than traditional prosecution. One commissioner said the county wanted accountability to deter repeat offenses and protect public safety at intersections where missing stop signs create a deadly risk.
The board voted unanimously to authorize a letter to Governor DeSantis asking him to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case so defendants would appear in Gulf County rather than be diverted or have conditions changed out of county.
Sources: presentation by the sheriff and commissioner statements at the March 31 meeting.
