Franklin County (FL) Sheriff A.J. "Tony" Smith went live on Facebook Thursday calling on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to come up with a new solution for the growing number of calls his office gets about bears in residential areas.
FL Sheriff Asks State Wildlife Agency for Help with Bears
"Bear management is not my day job," Sheriff A.J. "Tony" Smith said in a Facebook video. "Something needs to be done. I'm not a bear biologist..."

Franklin County, FL, Sheriff A.J. "Tony" Smith says his office has received more than 40 calls about bears in the last year. "Bear management is not my day job," he complained on Facebook, calling for state help.
Franklin County SO
Some of the bear reports Smith has gotten include a group of young bear cubs, which apparently had lost their mother, were running amuck in Carrabelle, Florida, he told USA Today. Bears have also broken into people's garages and porches, he said. One bear even got into a woman's house in the middle of the night, causing the resident to barricade herself in her room while she called police, Smith said.
"Bear management is not my day job," Smith said in the video. "Something needs to be done. I'm not a bear biologist, but I know that there comes a time when people need to move out of the office, get out in the field, and see what's going on and that's what I'm challenging these bear biologists."
His office has received more than 40 calls about bears in the last year, said Smith, who has served as the county's sheriff since 2017. Bears have increasingly become an issue over the last five years, he told USA Today.
A day after Sheriff Smith made his bear video, the sheriff’s officer reported on Facebook: “The Executive Director of the FWC called the Sheriff late this afternoon and will be scheduling a meeting with the sheriff’s office staff next week. The promising thing about the call was he promised to have new solutions to this old problem.”
More Patrol

Tasmanian Tiger Launches Modular Chest Rig 4xM4 & Modular Chest Rig Pack for LE
Tasmanian Tiger has expanded its Modular Load-Carrying System with the new Modular Chest Rig 4xM4 and Modular Chest Rig Pack. Both provide adaptable, low-profile load options for military, law enforcement, and SWAT missions.
Read More →
ZeroEyes Expands from AI Gun Detection to Knife Detection & Suspect Tracking
ZeroEyes has launched three new product categories to extend beyond firearms to address additional acute safety threats and basic security needs. Knife detection and suspect tracking are now also available.
Read More →
GALLS Acquires CMS Uniforms
GALLS has acquired CMS Uniforms and Equipment, Inc., a prominent regional provider based in Nashville, Tennessee. CMS Uniforms, founded in 2000, has built a reputation for delivering stellar customer service and managing complex uniform programs for more than 670 accounts.
Read More →
Brinc Unveils Guardian, Launching the Next Era of Drone as First Responder
Brinc’s new Guardian delivers 24/7 operations, Starlink connectivity, and a robotic charging nest that can swap batteries and change payload configurations without human intervention.
Read More →
Colorado State Patrol Releases 2025 Struck-By Analysis
The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.
Read More →
Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
The Mission After the Moment
The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.
Read More →
Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture
Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.
Read More →
K-9s Play a Critical Role in Finding Missing Persons
Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.
Read More →