LAW ENFORCEMENT BUREAU

The Law Enforcement Bureau is comprised of the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations and the Drug Unit. Each division has various assigned units. Major Louis Pulford oversees the entire Bureau.

The Patrol Division is commanded by two sector commanders. This Division is also responsible for all 12 District Offices. Captain Fred Chisholm and Captain Brian Spivey are in charge of Field Operations, supervising the Patrol Watch Commander Lieutenants, District Commander Lieutenants and Patrol Sergeants. Law enforcement uniformed deputies are assigned to each district based on the following criteria: calls for service, response time, crime rate and population.

Community Policing in Marion County is a decentralized approach to fighting crime by focusing on crime fighting efforts in districts located throughout the county rather than from a centralized location. Our decentralized approach makes us more accessible to the citizens we serve.

Captain Claude McQuaig supervises the Criminal Investigations Division, whose main responsibilities are Major Crimes, Property Crimes, Crime Analysis, and Evidence. 

The Drug Unit also known as the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) is an initiative of the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). UDEST is a federally funded initiative comprised of local and federal agents from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).