CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — Pinellas County law enforcement agencies arrested more than 40 people this week as part of a crackdown on unlicensed contractors.

During the past few days, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Clearwater Police Department conducted an undercover operation along Clearwater Beach in the wake of the recent storms and homeowners in need of repair work.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the suspects have been offering to do post hurricane cleanup and repairs without the proper licensing.

More than 40 suspects face over 50 charges. And because the community is still under a state of emergency, all of the charges are felonies.

Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said reports from concerned residents helped track down a few of them.

“Ironically, while we were planning this operation last week, an individual called us who realized they have hired an unlicensed contractor to do $200,000 worth of work,” Gandy said. “They contacted us and we intervened and in fact that individual was not licensed.”

Residents can report any unlicensed contractor activity to the Pinellas County tipline at (727) 582-6767.

You can also visit myfloridalicense.com to verify if the contractor is eligible to work in Florida.