LE Consolidation, Is it inevitable?

Thanks to ammendment one, The Pinellas County commissioners have asked Sheriff Coats to cut his department's budget by $25 million. This budget reduction can more easily be achieved if the county politicians would do as Sheriff Coats recommended and consolidate all county law enforcement agencies into the sheriff's department.

The fractured law enforcement in Pinellas county is a huge waste of money. Consolidation will bring about economies of scale savings, greater efficiencies and reduce bureaucratic overlap, all which are beneficial to law enforcement and taxpayers alike.

What do you think?

It will start with FD. Look at Seminole - they laid off a few the other day and I think Lealman is ready to fall too. If the ammendment 1 shortcomings are as bad as projected the SO/PD consolidation won't be far behind - Yikes!

it wont affect most of us as much as you think/fear. You will keep your job, just different uniform.

it wont affect most of us as much as you think/fear. You will keep your job, just different uniform.

...but not our pension - the SO is FRS.

well....on the....*bright* side.....if the city gives you back your pension contributions...you could probably buy at least.....1/8 of that time back......*sigh*

A Sheriff's Office on the East Coast consolidated with a pretty decent size agency a while back and when they did, the Sheriff convinced the COunty Commissioners to match the pension time day for day so that the guys that got taken over didn't take it in the shorts.

I think the merge also had the City contribute a sum to make it work. In the long run, the City still saved money.

At least that type of merger would be a little more palatable.

if it was just one agency they planned on taking sure..but if they try to take every single pd in the county..your looking at 2000 officers....and a lot more money.

It certainly would be more palatable in that case however....Might I remind you the SO is scaling back moving officers back to the road, eliminating specialty positions just like everyone else.

They are in no position to take over another agency at this time.

Perhaps in a few years we can debate this again.

you know..I have to say that in general the posters in the Pinellas Park forum are more mature, well spoken, and...well grown up then the other Pinellas county forums.

Plus we have been answering this particular question for years.....

Thanks for the compliment though.

This is not a slam at PCSO, I think they are a very good agency. However, what exactly do Pinellas Park tax payers get by merging agencies.

For the most part, they would get less officers per citizen and would lose their home town police department. Let's face it. Because we are accountable to citizens, we do things for our residents that the SO does not do. We handle calls they wouldn't normally respond to. It may not be what some consider police work but our ability and the willingness of our officers to bend over backwards and respond to calls we don't have to is the exact reason we have our own agency. What is important in Palm Harbor may not be important in Pinellas Park and vice versa. Our residents get the service they ask for and pay for.

I am not convinced taxes would be lower with merger of services. What is likely is that Pinellas Park tax payers would get less for what amounts to likely the same amount of money. Our money would be used to fund better law enforcement service or pay for law enforcement service in other parts of the county.

There are certain things a city of 50,000 people should plan on having. There own police department, fire department, library, public works, parks and recreation are all part of it.

If anything, again not a slam on PCSO, but if anything is abnormal, it is for a large Sheriff's office to exist in the smallest county in the state that has four cities of larger than 50,000 people and two made up of greater than 100,000. My take is that the SO is having to make hard choices right now because they have continued to add deputies over the years despite a reduction in service area due to annexations. When they could have reduced patrol deputies in certain areas due to city growth they haven't reduced their workforce, rather they seem to add specialty units and redeploy the deputies to some type of special unit. Those units tend to cost money, money that right now is tight.

Just some thoughts. No slam or ill will directed to my friends at PCSO. Just how I see it.

I have to admit working for the PARK has its advantages. We take more calls than any other agnecy in the county. No matter what shift you are on. Our special ops. vice, and CIS are included in this and whoever else I missed at the PD. I have no point and I don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!






YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

The bottom line is thus....it doesn't matter how much money anyone would save or spend. It's up to the city council whether they would want to give up control of the policing of this city. There is no doubt that it would save money to have three deputies per shift in the park. But then they would lose control over what kind of service they get. Even if it meant that they have three park officers over three deputies they would still have control. and that's what it boils down to. The money saving argument has been pitched time and time again since probably around 1915. It's always been met with the same response..none...tax cuts are affecting everyone, EVERYONE..some agencies are in trouble, some are not..I don't think we are..but who knows? No one...the good thing is, that it would take all 5 council members to abolish this agency and I don't see that happening...We don't abuse our citizens, we are not crooked cops, and we adapt to whatever is thrown at us...so there is no reason to get rid of us...even if they take our cars, our guns, our building, christ even if they don't pay us a penny...they will still have control over what happens... We could go down to 50 officers and it wouldn't matter..There are plenty of ways they could save money without giving up control to the S.O......

WHY DON'T ALL OF YOU DEPUTIES JUST GO BACK TO YOUR OWN DAMN BOARD AND QUIT MINDING OUR BUSINESS. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR OPINION BECAUSE THE SAME OLD CRAP IS GETTING OLD.

Obama Sucks...

WHY DON'T ALL OF YOU DEPUTIES JUST GO BACK TO YOUR OWN darn BOARD AND QUIT MINDING OUR BUSINESS. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR OPINION BECAUSE THE SAME OLD CRAP IS GETTING OLD.

Ok S4, just remember, our board may be your board in the future. Hopefully, you don't still bash the SO, like you used to, you might be wearing green pants someday. :cop:

Thanks for the advice. Until then, we will call it like we see it.

Don't hold you breath.

This is not a slam at PCSO, I think they are a very good agency. However, what exactly do Pinellas Park tax payers get by merging agencies.

For the most part, they would get less officers per citizen and would lose their home town police department. Let's face it. Because we are accountable to citizens, we do things for our residents that the SO does not do. We handle calls they wouldn't normally respond to. It may not be what some consider police work but our ability and the willingness of our officers to bend over backwards and respond to calls we don't have to is the exact reason we have our own agency. What is important in Palm Harbor may not be important in Pinellas Park and vice versa. Our residents get the service they ask for and pay for.

I am not convinced taxes would be lower with merger of services. What is likely is that Pinellas Park tax payers would get less for what amounts to likely the same amount of money. Our money would be used to fund better law enforcement service or pay for law enforcement service in other parts of the county.

There are certain things a city of 50,000 people should plan on having. There own police department, fire department, library, public works, parks and recreation are all part of it.

If anything, again not a slam on PCSO, but if anything is abnormal, it is for a large Sheriff's office to exist in the smallest county in the state that has four cities of larger than 50,000 people and two made up of greater than 100,000. My take is that the SO is having to make hard choices right now because they have continued to add deputies over the years despite a reduction in service area due to annexations. When they could have reduced patrol deputies in certain areas due to city growth they haven't reduced their workforce, rather they seem to add specialty units and redeploy the deputies to some type of special unit. Those units tend to cost money, money that right now is tight.

Just some thoughts. No slam or ill will directed to my friends at PCSO. Just how I see it.

You are 100% wrong. With a Sheriff merger cities receive better service. The officers in the city stay and change a uniform. Over here in Palm Beach all of our city mergers have seen faster response times, better service, and more deputies on the street and we respond to all calls many of which you probably have not responded as a city officer. It’s sad that there are people out there with your attitude. Consolidation is better for all involved. With a contract, the city still has control over law enforcement services and the officers are not to leave the city unless exigent circumstance exists. At least that’s how we do it over here. All officers come over with time and rank, and pay cannot be reduced. The FRS has proven to be the most stable retirement system and investment option is great also. Those argue in a city you can retire at less time served, but you pay into your retirement. With the FRS you get a free retirement and I take 8% of my pay and put into a 401h which will pay for my family's health care for life after I retire. Speaking of which health care at the SO tends to less expensive.

How can you say cities should have their own fire and police? If it hits the fan, you guys are going to call for the SO and other units, so why create a middleman? The way it should be is a metro police department countywide. Having all these cities in a county is crazy. Jacksonville has the right idea. One city/county government. Too many politicians think they can do better and all we do is end up with a bureaucracy in three forms of government. If this wasn't a better way why are so many other departments in this nation consolidating police and fire services? It works, it is more efficient, greater resources, less expensive and much more. Lets face those opposed to consolidation fear change, or are power hungry and want to be able to control their police.

http://www.neiassociates.org/regionalization.htm

http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/downloads ... epaper.pdf (http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/downloads/cmo/lewhitepaper.pdf)

its to political in Pinellas County...10 years from now these exact same posts and comments will get posted...and nothing will change. So lets move on to more interesting topics shall we?

Ummmm.....Last time I checked, most the bigger cities in Palm Beach still had their own agency. When Palm Beach goes metro, then come back and talk to us big boy.

Until then, stay safe.

this goof from Palm Beach...maybe if you join the county, and you could work bigger more interesting cases... he knows nothing... this isn't Palm Beach brother

this goof from Palm Beach...maybe if you join the county, and you could work bigger more interesting cases... he knows nothing... this isn't Palm Beach brother

Wow I hope your not a detective becuase you're clueless. I alreay work for the county, and I was just pointing out the obvious.

dumbas$, in this county the city officers work every case known to man, unlike our brothers at the SO or FHP. I'm sure one of our 1st yr rooks have worked cases you've only seen on COPS. Stick to your county

dumbas$, in this county the city officers work every case known to man, unlike our brothers at the SO or FHP. I'm sure one of our 1st yr rooks have worked cases you've only seen on COPS. Stick to your county

LOL. I work in the city of Belle Glade with the county. We work everything with the Sheirffs, its the city boys who turn everything over. Most you guys wouldn't know what to do in a city like Belle Glade.

um.....no. In YOUR county the city might turn everything over. In OUR county its the opposite. We would be just fine.

dumbas$, in this county the city officers work every case known to man, unlike our brothers at the SO or FHP. I'm sure one of our 1st yr rooks have worked cases you've only seen on COPS. Stick to your county

You dont work anything more or less than we do at PCSO. Don't kid yourself. We do the same job with different jurisdictions (overlapping). But don't think for one second that PPPD is dome how producing superior cases. Your agency is small town politics and small town budget. I don't hear the SAO raving about your cases either. Reality is that PCSO can do 100% of what PPPD does for less money to the city. Let's see how possible a take over next year when budget cuts kick in.

funny thing about "small town budgets" is that we take smaller cuts. What does PCSO have to cut? Probably a lot. Ya..your not really in any position to be expanding your department anytime soon.

My daddy can kick your daddy's butt....

This is how childish you sound. Stay on your own board, you don't work here anymore. More on man, let it go. It's ok, we know you miss us and won't admit it, but please.

Oh by the way, you said there is nothing we work that you don't. How bout car crashes there super stud. Oh wait, I bet you work a contract city, I withdraw my comment.

hey star boy, i hope you like the jail, cause thats your next position transfer when the cities eat up the rest of your little bitty area.