Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight has announced the promotion of two Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies to the rank of Sergeant. Corrections Deputy Lewis Hirtzel is promoted to the rank of sergeant assigned to the Courts/Corrections Division. Hirtzel began his career at the sheriff's office in 2010 as a corrections deputy. A valued and respected member of the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT), Lewis has received multiple nominations for Deputy of the Month while serving as officer in command of the west wing. Deputy Robert Nichols is promoted to the rank of sergeant assigned to the Law Enforcement Division. Nichols began his career at the sheriff's office in 2004 as a patrol deputy. He served in the Criminal Investigations Section as well as the Tactical Unit, receiving a Unit Citation in 2013 for exemplary work. Nichols has been recognized by numerous agencies and offices, including the Secret Service, Sarasota/Manatee Airport Authority and the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office.

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office