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Sarasota News Leader October 11, 2013 If the individuals stay out of trouble, it is possible and even likely the charges will be dropped against them in the future. But this is not a short-term thing. Lt. Pat Ledwith, commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said the participants will have to stay straight until the statute of limitations expires on their initial criminal offenses. Page 55 models to help the group make better decisions about their lives. The idea is to make a clean break with the past. Just as a smoker finds it tough to stop if he hangs out with people continuing to smoke, a person who has committed a crime should not keep the company of other criminals. Depending on what they were arrested for, it could take years for those limitations to expire. During that period, if any are identified in criminal activity, the "deferred prosecution" deal will expire, and they will face a judge on their original offenses. DiPino said the High Point strategy is a philosophical change for her department, not "a one-time deal." Expansion of the program to tackle prostitution, she added, was a result of patrol deputies' suggestions regarding that type of criminal activity on the North Tamiami Trail. Meanwhile, the six participants are the focus of a wide range of services, including job training, addiction and mental health counseling, educational opportunities and instruction in parenting skills. Mentors are available as role In the meantime, the Police Intelligence Bureau is looking at the statistics for other "hot spots" in town. While the program took on the DMI acronym at its start, it already has grown well beyond drugs. % The Sarasota Police Department is on Adams Lane. Photo by Norman Schimmel