Yes.
It’s no longer possible for the public to search for active warrants on the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office website.
An SCSO spokesperson said the decision was made to protect officers and prevent interference in police searches.
The feature had allowed anyone to search for active warrants and stay informed. However, there were concerns that the service “tipped off” serious offenders and better prepared them to evade capture, authorities said.
The spokesperson said people can still reach out to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office’s front desk or contact their attorney to confirm if they have a warrant out for them.
The Florida Crime Information Center also has a free warrant search feature, where anyone can search for wanted or missing persons, stolen vehicles and more.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Suncoast Searchlight partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Email with Public Information Officer Matthew Binkley
- Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Website
- Florida Crime Information Center Warrant search
