Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri named Sheriff of the Year

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri was named the 2022 Sandra S. Hutchens Sheriff of the Year by the Major County Sheriffs of America on Wednesday.

Gualtieri was recognized for his impact on the association and law enforcement nationwide, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Gualtieri has served on the organization’s executive board since 2018. He also previously served as president of the Florida Sheriff’s Association and is currently on its legislative committee. Gualtieri is also chair of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which was formed by the Florida legislature in 2018 to improve school safety after the mass shooting at the school for which it is named.

The Major County Sheriffs of America is an association of law enforcement officials from the 113 largest sheriff’s offices nationwide. Its sheriff of the year award was named for a California sheriff who died of breast cancer in 2021.