On Tuesday, October 20, 2020, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) awarded Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri with the 2020 Leadership Award. In the 25 years that PERF has presented the Leadership Award, Sheriff Gualtieri is the first sheriff to receive this recognition.

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is an independent research organization that focuses on critical issues in policing. Since its founding in 1976, PERF has identified best practices on fundamental issues such as reducing police use of force; developing community policing and problem-oriented policing; using technologies to deliver police services to the community; and evaluating crime reduction strategies.

PERF’s Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of law enforcement. The PERF Leadership Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the highest principles and standards of a true leader in policing on a national level. The award recognizes innovators whose efforts serve as a model to the law enforcement community and whose vision of policing can be applied on a wide scale.

Sheriff Gualtieri stated, “PERF is an internationally renowned thought leader in policing and I am honored to have been selected by PERF to receive its 2020 Leadership Award. These are the most trying of times for American policing as we redefine how we police and I am humbled that PERF selected me for this national recognition.” 

Please see PERF’s news release here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19SyDhnojTuO5tq3CBZBoRHAS8ZUlO4tT/view?usp=sharing