Real Numbers and Real Suggestions

The S.O. anticipated losing 70+ Det. Deputys this past year. With that in mind and the competition the PCSO has faced to find qaulified candidates for the corrections accademy they continued hiring and training Det. Deputys. For what ever reason at this point in time the PCSO has not lost the number of members it has anticapated. The budget crisis has given the Sheriff few choices and none of them are good. This past week the Sheriff layed off 24 Det. Deputys that had just finished the acedemy, passed their state test and had just begun their field training at the jail. Did the Sheriff want to do that? I would say without a doubt, NO!

I did some math. A new deputy makes 19.84 per hour, that comes to 793.60 per week. The corrections accedemy is 15 weeks long and tution for the accedemy is $2,200.00 per student. $793.60 per week times 15 weeks plus the $2,200.00 tutition comes to 14,104 Dollars per new recruit before they step foot onto the jail compond and beging working.
24 new recruits times 14,104.00 comes to $338,496.00. These numbers do not include the cost of benifits for the new recruites. The latest rumor is that the number of Det. Deputys layed off could go as high as 50. These will be deputys from the previous accedemy. 50 X $14,104.00 is $705,200.00. These are deputys that have been layed off because the Board of County Commissioners priorities. The Sheriff has invested a lot of tax payers money in personnel because he knows he is going to need them as members retire over the next year. He may not need them right this moment to man the jail at bare levels but there is little to no doubt that members are going to retire or leave the agency this next year. Then what are our choices. Post have to be covered somehow by someone.

If you go to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Election and go to Candidates For 2008 Election Cycle. http://www.votepinellas.com/index.php?id=15 You will see that so far only two of the current county commissioners have registered for the 2008 election.
What we need are real qualified candidates to run for county commission. These are the people who make decisions that effect so many lives. Instead of puting the pressure on the Sherrif lets put some people in place who truely have the best enterest of Pinellas County and the safety of it's citizens.

It you look at the Board of County Commissioners budget you will see a lot of money being spent on arts and entertainment. If they cannot properly fund the S.O. do we need to be funding arts and enternainment. Seems like there might be just a few things more inportant.

I'm Just Another Jail Guard but even I can surf the web and put numbers together.

This situation is going to get someone hurt or killed. Whether it's a Road Deouty who does not get back-up in time or an out numbered Detention Deputy who gets his azz handed to him the price is too high.

We had two Bailiffs get shot at just couple of months ago. The county commission questioned if the Sheriff really needed two Bailffs in each court room. Tells you where their head is at

There's a lot of dead wood at the top and other waste that could be cut without laying off working people who serve the taxpayers. This administration is unwilling to cut its own fat and is using us as pawns to try to force the county commission to give it more money. We are expendable in this game. That's the bottom line. Remember to vote in November.

Well said. But what we need is a LEADER, who can properly represent the citizens, deputies, and employees of the Sheriff's Office in front of the County Commision. Jim appeared unprepared and scared, as he usually is in any public forum. It's time to step down Jimmy. The county needs a real leader as it's sheriff.

Does any one have suggestion. We need someone who has a grasp for for it or is quick to learn. I for one am ready for real changes. Changes for the good and not just for the sake of change. I am tired of the old cronies being in power and protecting one another. I am tired of the fat cats at the top making policies that they do not have to work under and only serve their purpose. Lets get back to being a real Sheriff's office with some amount of control over the destiny of our agency.

Cars one and two seem to have their own agenda and it has little to do with troops that are doing the real work.

For anyone who is interested, you can go to the county commission website and view the entire meeting between Coats and the BCC.
He did not seem to be completely prepared nor did he have a clear understanding of what the BCC expected to be discussed at the meeting.