Pasco County, FL - Pasco County Sheriff's Office

The Pasco County Sheriff's office is located in Pasco, Florida. In 1834, Hillsborough County was established being comprised of a large area of the state which today is made up of seven counties. Through the ensuing years individual counties were divided from Hillsborough and in 1843 Hernando County was created being made up of what today includes Pasco and Citrus County. As population and needs increased, Pasco, Citrus and Hernando were split, with all becoming individual counties in 1887. The first Sheriff James A. Grady was appointed and served until 1891 (a chronological listing of all Pasco Sheriffs is linked to this site). In 1889 Dade City was chosen as the county seat with the first county jail being built in 1892 on 10th Street in Dade City. Although this structure is no longer owned by the county it still stands and is the private office of a local business. Investigation has determined that it originally may have consisted of three cells and a separate living area for the sheriff and his family. As Pasco County was a thriving and growing center for area agriculture a new jail was built in 1909 and incorporated along with offices for the sheriff in what is today the historic Dade City Courthouse.