Paul Sutton

Executive Director

Paul Sutton came to the Coalition after serving 30 years with the Sarasota Police Department.  Paul has served as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and interim Chief of Police.  During his law enforcement career Paul served as the DARE Coordinator, supervised the School Resource Officer program, served as the Commander of Vice Narcotics (participated in and supervised Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces working with federal agencies including; DEA, U.S. Customs, F.B.I., and the Department of Justice.), Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division, and Administrative Captain.  In 1997 Paul wrote a local law enforcement block grant that provided funds that helped to establish Sarasota's Drug Court.  Paul has been active in committees that helped to establish the Sarasota County Alternative Residential Treatment  (CART) Initiative and expand the Voluntary Interim Placement - Expanded Recovery (VIPER) program.  Paul's experiences with the substance abuse issue include everything from; prevention efforts, to treatment programs, and arrests.  Paul has lived in Sarasota since 1973, he graduated from Sarasota High School, Manatee Community College (now State College of Florida) and the University of South Florida.  Paul is a graduate of the University of Louisville Command Officers Developement Course (SPI).  Paul continues to have an active role in Sarasota's homeless issues  (Community Alliance Homeless Committee Chair, Board of Directors Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness (founding member), and the Salvation Army Advisory Board, while serving as the Executive Director of SCoSA.