Colonel Kristi Poore began her career with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in 1998, and currently serves as the commander over the Department of Detention Services. She has held numerous positions throughout her career, most of which were investigative and supervisory, within Department of Detention Services, Patrol Services, Investigative Services, Operational and Administrative Support.
Prior to her law enforcement career, Colonel Poore attended the University of South Florida on a Women's Basketball scholarship and ultimately received a Bachelors Degree in Criminology. She has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Troy University, and attended the Senior Management Institute for Police through the Police Executive Research Forum. Colonel Poore is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Session 270.
Colonel Poore possesses a strong belief in giving back to the community by interacting with and mentoring the youth of Tampa Bay. She enjoys spending her free time either coaching athletics at the Boys and Girls Club or on the waters of Tampa Bay boating with her family and friends.
The Department of Detention Services is comprised of a 4,947 bed jail system that is responsible for the housing, custody, and care of all persons incarcerated in Hillsborough County. The Orient Road Jail is the primary receiving facility, providing booking, processing, and detention services for over 27 different law enforcement agencies. It also furnishes the secure component of the Juvenile Assessment Center, a centralized processing center for adolescents taken into custody in Hillsborough County. The Orient Road Jail consists of Central Booking, Intake and Housing Operations, Central Breath testing Unit, Juvenile Assessment Center, Inmate Property, Inmate Records and Classification, and the Detention Programs Bureau which is comprised of House Arrest, Criminal Registration Unit, Hillsborough Re-Entry Center, Inmate Treatment and Intervention Services, Adult Education, Religious Services, and Misdemeanor Probation.
With a rated capacity of 3,300 and encompassing 142 acres, the Falkenburg Road Jail is one of the largest direct supervision facilities in the country. Educational and vocational programs including culinary arts, sewing, GED, domestic violence, and substance abuse are offered to eligible inmates. It is also the site of the Video Visitation Center which serves inmates at both facilities Third party contractors are used to provide inmate medical, food, and commissary services.
Included in the Department of Detention Services, the Court Operations Division provides security for judges, courtrooms and the courthouse complex. The Civil Process Section is tasked with serving subpoenas and other legal documents resulting in an average of 250,000 court papers processed annually.