Detective Sergeant Toni Strickland began her career with the Bartow Police Department in 1999 as one of Bartow Police Department's first public safety aides. While working full-time as a Public Safety Aide, she completed police standards in 2001, and was sworn in as a patrol officer.
After working in patrol for a few years, Sgt. Strickland was assigned to Bartow High School as a School Resource Officer, spending several years in this capacity. In 2018 Sgt. Strickland was reassigned to the Investigations Section working as the Special Victim's Detective. She was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in April 2022.