By Matt Wiley
There’s a new Sheriff in town. Well, sort of. The Wesley Chapel area does have a new Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Captain in New Port Richey resident Kenneth Gregory.
A member of the force since 1990, Gregory says that he started out at PCSO in the vice and narcotics division for the east side of the county, which included a much different version of Wesley Chapel than what we see today.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the area since 1993,” Gregory says. “Back then, there was a lot more open land and fields. With the new subdivisions and more commercial businesses moving in, the area is unique. Just the sheer population is easiest the largest in the county. And, when you add more people, you add more crime, as well.”
However, Gregory says that he doesn’t see the area as crime-ridden, despite its population boom.
“Narcotics really are spread out across Pasco,” Gregory says. “Wesley Chapel is a newer area, so it’s not affected as much as some of the older areas of county. There’s not really an outstanding crime problem in Wesley Chapel. But, it’s hard to say that crime is limited to one area.”
As the new captain of District 2, Gregory is in charge of more than 114 PCSO deputies in the area, which covers 490 sq. miles, including everything east of U.S. Hwy. 41. Dist. 2 also is home to PCSO’s Property Crimes Division (which deals with burglaries, thefts, dealing in stolen property and other related crimes), as well as the STAR Unit (an intelligence-led investigation unit that works in high-crime areas).
Before becoming a captain, Gregory spent five years as a PCSO detective and seven as a lieutenant, but also spent time as a sergeant in the Property Crimes Division.
As far as advice, Gregory says that just locking the doors of your home and car can make all the difference.
“You can live anywhere in Pasco, but if you leave your doors unlocked at night, you make it easy to steal from you, and it’s going to happen,” he explains. “Most crime is the result of opportunity. It’s also important to know who belongs in your neighborhood.”
Gregory plans to make the rounds around the District to get to know community and business leaders.
“As a department, we have to look at the other areas of the county with similar demographics and look at the crime there to get in front of the crime that could develop to make sure that we have the resources to be able to manage that crime,” he explains. “We need to look ahead and make projections, which will require cooperation between businesses, community leaders, residents and (PCSO).”
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