Frequently Asked Questions

Call the Police Department at 813-780-0050 or submit a "Request for Action" explaining the situation. Your request will be assigned to an officer for traffic monitoring and increased visibility in your area. https://www.ci.zephyrhills.fl.us/formcenter/police-department-reports-14/traffic-complaint-81

If you have reason to believe the Zephyrhills Police Department may have property belonging to you from a loss or theft, you can contact the Evidence/Property Section at 813-780-0050 x.3325 or x.3326, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you receive a Uniform Traffic Citation, you must follow the directions on the back of the citation. You must pay the citation within thirty (30) days or elect a court date to contest the citation. If you cannot pay the citation, you must contact the Clerk of Circuit Court within the thirty (30) days to make payment arrangements at:

Pasco County Traffic Violation Bureau

38053 Live Oak Avenue

Dade City, Florida 33523-3894

 For additional questions, please call the Traffic Division at (352) 521-4443

You may enclose your payment in the self-addressed envelope and mail your payment to the address on the envelope or bring cash, check, or money order to:

Zephyrhills Police Department

6118 8th Street

Zephyrhills, FL 33542

There is no Animal Services Department for the City of Zephyrhills. Therefore, any inquiries with regard to situations such as stray dogs or abandoned cats should be directed to Pasco County Animal Services(PCAS) . However, the Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) does respond to aggressive animals, animal bites, and animal cruelty calls. Wildlife complaints are handled by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

• Pasco County Animal Service (PCAS): Business hours contact is (813) 929-1212. Emergency Service from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. is available at (800) 547-9427 or (727) 847-8102
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC): Business hours contact is (863) 648-3200. To report nuisance alligators contact FWC at (866) 392-4286. For injured wildlife contact FWC at (888) 404-3922 or (800) 282-8002.

If you are interested in employment with the Zephyrhills Police  Department, fill out the Police Department Application, or by  contacting City Human Resources Department at 813-780-0012.

If you feel an employee from the Police Department, whether it is a police officer, communications officer or a records clerk please feel free to write to the Chief of Police or just notify a supervisor so the employee can be recognized.

Scam Reporting

It seems as if we hear about a new scam every day. Thanks to technology and the Internet, it is far easier these days for someone to get you to part with your money, or steal your identity.

Remember – if you thwart a scam artist’s efforts, and they are not successful at stealing your money or your identity, then you successfully avoided being a victim and there is nothing to report to law enforcement. There are links included on this page of where to report scams.

If you HAVE had your money or your identity stolen, you should report the crime to law enforcement. Call your local law enforcement agency (ZPD) can be reached at (813) 780-0050, option 1) and visit the Federal Trade Commission website to report the scam itself.

IRS Scam

The IRS scam has many variations, ranging from instances from where callers say the victims owe or are entitled to a huge refund. Some callers will threaten arrest and/or a driver’s license revocation. Sometimes these calls are paired with follow-up calls from people saying they are from the local police department or the state motor vehicle department.

It is important to remember that the IRS never makes phone calls or sends about taxes - they only communicate via U.S. Postal Service.

If you receive one of these calls, the IRS has created a page specific to this scam and are requesting that victims report the incident on the site so they can investigate it. Click here to visit the website.

Social Security Scam

There are a number of scams where individuals posing as Social Security employees call and ask for personal information like your name, Social Security number and bank account information. The caller alleges that we need this information so we can issue you additional funds or rebates or they allege that because of a computer glitch your personal information has been lost.

Another scam used an email that was designed to look like it came from Social Security. It provided information about the annual cost-of-living-adjustment and directed readers to a website designed to look like Social Security’s site so people could “update their information” — valuable information to identity thieves and criminals.

Whatever you do, don’t fall victim to a scam. Don’t give out your personal information.

Social Security and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) take these scams very seriously. They do everything they can to stop the perpetrators and educate the public. To report suspicious activity, please call the OIG Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call the OIG TTY number at 1-866-501-2101.) A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available online at OIG’s website.

Amazon Scam

In one version of this scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says it’s Amazon. The message says there’s something wrong with your account. It could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill.

In another twist on the scam, you get a recorded message that says there’s been suspicious activity in your Apple iCloud account. In fact, they say your account may have been breached.

In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone, or they give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either. It’s a scam. They’re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or your credit card number.

If you get an unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts, hang up.

• Do not press 1 to speak with customer support
• Do not call a phone number they gave you
• Do not give out your personal information
• If you think there may actually be a problem with one of your accounts, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. 

Facebook Marketplace Sales Scam

This scam involves fake car sales ads posted on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer creates a fake website, such as "motors-sales.com," from which they also create fake email addresses such as "ebay@motors-sales.com." The seller posts a vehicle that they need to sell very quickly, for reasons such as a death in the family or military deployment. Typically the sales price is around $2,000.

The buyer is instructed to purchase eBay gift cards for around $200.00 each, and to call the seller and give the gift card numbers over the phone. The buyer is then promised delivery of the vehicle - which never happens.

Tips:

• You should NEVER agree to purchase a gift card & give the information to a stranger
• You should NEVER purchase something sight-unseen
• Don't fall for the "sense of urgency" or any attempt to play on your emotions
• When purchasing any sort of vehicle online, ask the seller to meet you at the ZPD station (6118 8th Street) make the transaction                                                                            

Grandparent Scam

In this scam, an elderly victim gets a call from who they think is their grandchild or child. Typically, the scammer just says, "Grandma?" and when the victim replies back with the family member's name "Is that you, Jimmy?" Now that the scammer has the right name, they go on to tell the victim that they are in jail and need bail money. Some scammers have even been known to send a "lawyer" or "courier" to get the cash. If you have any relatives who have fallen prey to this scam, contact law enforcement immediately.

U.S. Treasury Bond Scam

 
This scam involves a "salesperson" soliciting victims to purchase U.S. Treasury bonds through them - something anyone can do on their own on the verified and secure Treasury website (www.treasurydirect.gov). The scammer tells the victims that he or she needs their SSNs, copies of their birth certificates, and other personal information. Once the scammer gets all of that, they steal the victims' money and/or identities. If you have any relatives who have fallen prey to this scam, contact law enforcement immediately.

Paver or Home Repair Scam

ZPD has investigated cases involving groups of people, usually men, who travel through neighborhoods and solicit homeowners to do paving or roofing work. Those unsuspecting victims agree to pay a large amount of cash to have a driveway paved, or a roof repaired. The scam artists will do shoddy work (for example, they’ll unload a gravel and dirt mixture onto a driveway) and leave, never to be heard from again.

If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this, please contact local law enforcement immediately. We can be reached at 813-780-0050, option 1.

If someone solicits you to do work, you should always verify their business license through the county or state tax collector, and/or the Better Business Bureau. Doing work without a license and without workman’s comp insurance is against the law.

Computer Tech Support Scam

Some scammers will call you and claim work for Microsoft or another computer company, and try to get you to log into your computer to “fix” the issue you have. This scam involves them tricking you to install malware, or malicious software, that can steal your information and identity. Please visit their website to learn about how to avoid being scammed. 

Lottery / Sweepstakes/ Romance Scams

Did you know? The Federal Trade Commission is dedicated to educating the public about scams, and protecting the public from future scams. Please visit their website for more information about the following types of scams:

• Imposter scams (someone posing as a business, family friend, or government agency)
• Prizes, sweepstakes, or lotteries (requests for money or personal information under the pretense of a sweepstakes, gift, prize, or lottery)
• Romance scams (requests for money under the guise of a romantic relationship)
• Counterfeit checks (receipt of a counterfeit check during a transaction)
• The Inspector Attorney General's Office is also committed to going after scammers - call them at 1-800-366-4484.

MY IDENTITY HAS BEEN STOLEN – WHAT DO I DO?

If you are the victim of identity theft, report it here: https://www.identitytheft.gov/.

Unwanted Telemarketers

If you get a call from someone you don’t know who is trying to sell you something you hadn’t planned to buy, say "No thanks." And, if they pressure you about giving up personal information — like your credit card or Social Security number — it’s likely a scam. Hang up and report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

How Can I Get Telemarketers To Stop Calling Me?

The federal government's National Do Not Call Registry is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you get at home. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 days of registering your number. Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when they are disconnected and reassigned, or when you choose to remove a number from the registry.

Other Scams

If you feel you are the victim of a scam, and you don't see it listed here, please call The Inspector Attorney General at 1-800-366-4484.

No. If you are within the City of Zephyrhills, you do not need a permit. If you live outside the City of Zephyrhills jurisdiction, you will need to contact the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office regarding an alarm permit.

Yes, but they are local background checks and only cover the City of Zephyrhills. If you are in need of a local background check, you can visit Records at the Zephyrhills Police Department between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday.

You can either obtain one from the Records Section at the Zephyrhills Police Department between 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday, or online at www.buycrash.com.

It is the policy of the Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) to investigate all complaints made against department members or department policies and procedures, regardless of the source of such complaints. Any citizen may file a complaint in any of the following manners: Written correspondence (signed or anonymous), in person, or by telephone. Many times first-line supervisors can resolve issues immediately. Patrol supervisors are available twenty-four (24) hours a day.

The Chief of Police shall have the authority to order a formal professional standards investigation into any allegation or complaint based on the circumstances. When our Professional Standards Unit receives a complaint, a trained and experienced investigator will contact you. You may be asked to provide a recorded statement. After an investigation is complete, you will receive written notification of the outcome. If you are not satisfied with the disposition of the investigation, you are encouraged to contact the Chief of Police. Anonymous complaints shall be handled at the discretion of the Chief of Police. 

Florida law requires the Zephyrhills Police Department to have a formal complaint process. However, it also provides protection against fictitious or false complaints against an officer. Any false statement filed in official proceedings will be prosecuted.

What you should know before filing a complaint:

An officer has the right to stop and question someone due to reasonable suspicion that a person is committing or is about to commit a crime.

An officer is allowed to raise their voice to control a situation.

An officer can use a reasonable amount of force if a person resists or interferes with an arrest.

A person may not use physical force to resist an officer, even if the person believes the arrest is unjustified.

An officer may seize property with a warrant or probable cause to believe the property is evidence of a crime.