The four-page letter was sent to residents by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, that starts with, “We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected,” The Tampa Bay Times reported. However, the letter’s tone shifts and gives the impression that the recipetnt will be subjected to enhanced police scrutiny under a controversial intelligence initiative.

The letter also says,  “As a result of this designation, we will go to great efforts to encourage change in your life through enhanced support and increased accountability.”

“It is our hope you will actively pursue change by seeking and participating in the services and support you will have access to. … Although help is available, you are the one who must decide whether or not you will pursue change and accept the help being offered” the letter said.  A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department defended the program while being interviewed on Fox News.

“This type of academic research effort, through focused deterrence, has been well established and documented to reduce crimes in communities,” Pasco Sheriff’s Office Executive Director Chase Daniels said.

The program targets adult violent and narcotics offenders. The program was scheduled to launch in mid-2020, however, was delayed due to the pandemic and didn’t start until December. The letter notified participants that their criminal history will be shared with local, state and federal law enforcement entities and prosecutors, including the local state attorney’s office, the U.S. attorney’s office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Parole and Probation, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the ATF, the DEA, and other agencies with “the ability to ensure the highest level of accountability for all current and future criminal acts you commit.”

The letter informs participants that the sheriff’s office is willing to offer support for those dealing with mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness or employment difficulties.

The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2020 that an investigation had found that the sheriff’s office uses criminal histories, social networks, other information in order to create lists of people it considers likely to commit a crime. The investigation showed that deputies were sent to various homes, often without a search warrant or probable cause.

Sheriff’s Office Capt. Toni Roach, being selected is “good news” because participants will “have the opportunity to receive assistance from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and several community partners.”

According to Lauren Johnson, an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said the program won’t be beneficial.

“We know that is not what makes people or communities more safe, this heightened level of surveillance,” she said.

Four Pasco County residents have filed a lawsuit in March in federal court, claiming the intelligence program violated their constitutional rights.

“The goal here is to shut this program down and to make sure it stops, both for these clients and everybody in Pasco County,” said Robert Johnson, an attorney which is representing the plaintiffs.