By LOIS KINDLE
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office realigned coverage boundaries for its five community resource deputies, and shortly after, assigned Deputy Yvette Hibbard as CRD of Ruskin and Apollo Beach. She has replaced Deputy Kenzie Basilone, who left the sheriff’s office to seek a new career.
Master Deputy Brian Sherman covers the communities of Gibsonton and FishHawk; Master Deputy Jeff Merry, greater Sun City Center; Deputy Emily Anderson, Riverview and Wimauma; and Deputy Michael Ortiz, the Boys and Girls Club in Wimauma; Hibbard is a nine-year HCSO veteran who has spent her entire career thus far as a District IV street patrol deputy. She’s been a trainer for 10 years at CrossFit Apogee in Gibsonton.
Prior to coming to the sheriff’s office, the Riverview resident worked in logistics, but decided an office environment wasn’t for her. She wanted to be out and about serving the community, so she applied to both the HCSO and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
The sheriff’s office responded first, and Hibbard said after going on a few ride-alongs with deputies, “That was it.”
“She’s very excited about her new role and has been eager to meet the community,” said Dist. IV Cpl. Alex Bailey. “She’s been going to community meetings and events with Master Deputy Jeff Merry, who’s showing her the ropes.”
Merry said Hibbard is enthusiastically approaching her position as CRD.
“I’m excited for her to start and to learn,” he said. “Her job now is completely different from patrol in that now she represents the sheriff’s office in Ruskin and Apollo Beach and is the point of contact for the residents in both communities.
It’s her assigned area of responsibility.”
HCSO Deputy Yvette Hibbard is now CRD for the communities of Ruskin and Apollo Beach. She’s been with the sheriff’s office for nine years on street patrol and is excited to assume her new role.
As CRD, Hibbard will work out of the District IV Command office at 508 33rd St. SE, Ruskin, and her assigned HCSO vehicle. Her job includes working with homeowners’ associations, community organizations and neighborhood watches; visiting schools and working with youth as an HCSO ambassador; helping businesses with trespass authorizations and enforcement; handling traffic complaints; and dealing with other assorted issues in the community.
“I love protecting and serving the community,” Hibbard said. “There’s always something new popping up on the job, something new to learn. I enjoy interacting with people.”
Hibbard is trilingual. She speaks Arabic, French and English.
To contact her, email her at yhibbard@teamhcso.com or call either 813-247-8200 or 813-549-9214.