So Tom Knight had a community meeting the other night with residents of south county on the closing of the south district office to the public. He told you one of the reasons he did this was to put more Deputies on the road. That is 100% a lie. His arrogance holds no bounds that he will sit in-front of the voters an lie right to their face. No Deputies have been added to the road because of this. There were 4 desk Deputies assigned to the front desk to assist members of the public. Those 4 desk Deputies have been moved up to 6010 Cattleridge Rd.

The endgame on the desk Deputies is to get rid of them through attrition. That has been the endgame since John Walsh began pushing this years ago. It was a stupid idea then and it is a stupid idea now. The desk Deputies provide an invaluable service both to members of the public who chose to come into the office to report an issue or crime and to their fellow Deputies who are kept out on patrol to handle other calls coming in.

Also for the public to know it was possible for a Sergeant or Lieutenant to have a call transferred to the desk so long as it met certain criteria which in turn kept patrol Deputies on the road to answer more pressing calls.

To the citizens of Venice, Nokomis, and North Port if you attended this meeting it is very plain and simple, you were lied too! That is the plain truth, their was no reason to remove desk and patrol operations from that building. He will tell you about budget issues its all smoke and mirrors, he could have kept patrol and the desk as well as had training their.

Sarasota County deserves a better Sheriff. Please vote a new on in and Knight out in two years.