Arrest by Florida Highway Patrol

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) was established in 1939 when Governor Fred P. Cone, a member of the Executive Board of the Department of Public Safety, made a motion to establish it. Today, the FHP is authorized for more than 1,900 sworn positions and 2,475 full-time employees.

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is the state’s enforcement authority in highway safety. Troopers in FHP’s Contraband Interdiction Unit deal with illegal drug activities and the seizure of money allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Read more about how Florida Highway Patrol’s Interdiction Unit seizes property for forfeiture, including property worth more than $110,000,000 in 2022.

If you were arrested by a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol for DUI or a criminal traffic offense, or if FHP was involved in the seizure of your money or other property for forfeiture anywhere in Florida, then call us to discuss the case today.

Attorneys for Florida Highway Patrol Cases in Tampa, FL

If you were arrested for DUI by a trooper with Troop C of the Florida Highway Patrol in the Tampa Bay area, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm, P.A.

We have offices in downtown Tampa in Hillsborough County, Clearwater in Pinellas County, and New Port Richey in Pasco County. The six attorneys at our firm represent clients throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.

Our criminal defense attorneys fight cases in Hillsborough County and the surrounding areas of Hernando County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, and Hernando County, FL. We help clients charged with both felony and misdemeanor traffic crimes, including DUI, reckless driving, DWLS, racing, and fleeing to elude.

We also have extensive experience handling civil asset forfeiture cases when FHP is involved in seizing for forfeiture cash, vehicles, or other valuable property. In a civil asset forfeiture case involving FHP troopers, we can file your claim and demand the return of your property.

Call (813) 250-0500.

FHP’s Criminal Interdiction Unit

Troopers in the Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU) intercept drug couriers and seize U.S. currency, drugs, guns, and other forms of contraband from the roadway each day. The unit is sometimes called the Contraband Interdiction Unit.

Regarding cash seizures, troopers in CIU often work with officers assigned to High-Intensity Drug task forces throughout the state. When seizing contraband for forfeiture, troopers in the Florida Highway Patrol must adhere to Policy Number 12.03 of the FHP’s Policy Manual.

Read. more about forfeiture seizures of vehicles by Florida Highway Patrol.

Patrol Operations of the Florida Highway Patrol

The Patrol Operations of the Florida Highway Patrol is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement activities that include directing the movement of traffic on state highways and apprehending fugitives from justice.

Patrol Operations conducts patrols and enforces traffic laws to support a safe driving environment. It responds to and investigates traffic crashes. FHP’s Patrol Operations assists stranded motorists and those in need of assistance.

Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) with the FHP

As of January 30, 2018, FHP has 47 Drug Recognition Experts (DRE). That number represents approximately 20 percent of all DREs in the state, more than any other law enforcement agency in Florida.

Florida law directs the DHSMV to train additional law enforcement officers as drug recognition experts. FHP DREs serve as subject matter experts who receive specialized training to identify an extensive range of driver impairments.

DREs are often dispatched when a law enforcement agency needs help investigating an impaired driver or vehicle crash.

The FHP DRE program follows the protocols and examinations as directed by training and certification by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The expertise of DREs helps prosecutors obtain convictions in cases involving impaired driving. The FHP trains new DREs each year.

Auxillary Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol

The Florida Highway Patrol is empowered to establish an auxiliary. §321.24(1) Florida Statutes. Auxiliary troopers that serve “under the supervision and direction of . . . a member of the Florida Highway Patrol . . . have the power to make arrests.” §321.24 (2), Florida Statutes.

Under §943.10(8) Florida Statutes, auxiliary troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol are considered “auxiliary law enforcement officers” who give aid and assistance to “a full-time or part-time law enforcement officer and who, while under the direct supervision of a full-time or part-time law enforcement officer, has the authority to arrest and perform law enforcement functions.”

The requirement that auxiliaries act “under the direct supervision” of a law enforcement officer “is met as long as the auxiliary officer is directly accountable to a full or part-time law enforcement officer near the scene and who has ultimate control of the situation.

The degree of supervisory control necessary would depend on the exigencies created by the circumstances. Stanford v. State, 415 So. 2d 879, 881 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982).

FHP Troop C – Station Locations

Troop C of the Florida Highway Patrol serves Tampa in Hillsborough County, St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Pinellas County, Brooksville in Hernando County, Lakeland in Pasco County, and the surrounding areas.

TAMPA FHP Station

11305 N. McKinley Dr.
Tampa, FL 33612
813/558-1800 Hillsborough Troop C

BROOKSVILLE FHP Station

11319 Ponce DeLeon Blvd.
Brooksville, FL 34601-8642
352/754-6767
800/500-1240 (Florida only) Hernando Troop C

LAKELAND FHP Station

3247 Lakeland Hills Blvd.
Lakeland, FL 33805
863/413-3510 Polk Troop C

LAND O’LAKES FHP Station

17028 Ayers Rd.
Brooksville, FL 34604
352/797-5738 Hernando Troop C

PINELLAS PARK FHP Station

6855 62nd Ave N
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
727/217-8820 Pinellas Troop C

Finding a Lawyer after an FHP DUI Arrest

If you were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, chemical, or controlled substances, contact an attorney at the Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL.

We represent clients throughout Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Hernando County, and Pasco County, Florida.

Call us if you are charged with a first-time DUI or a second or subsequent offense. We can help you fight a DUI involving a breath test, a blood test, a urine test, or a refusal to submit to testing.

Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case during a free and confidential consultation. Call (813) 250-0500 today.

This article was last updated on Wednesday, April 30, 2024.