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Sheriff's Employees Will Leave Cars At Work

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By YOLANDA FERNANDEZ | News Channel 8

Published: September 6, 2007

147 Pinellas Sheriff's employees will lose their take home cars starting October 1st. Most of the cars are unmarked vehicles used by the civilian staff. The new policy doesn't affect deputies who take marked patrol cars home. Sheriff Jim Coats says this is part of a larger plan of budget cutbacks.

The cars will be assessed for mileage and condition with the best of the group going into a pool to be kept and used as needed for business. The rest will be sent to auction.

Sheriff Jim Coats says they're not sure how much savings this will generate because it's a new effort to contain costs. A sheriff's office spokesperson says they haven't had a vehicle cutback like this in at least 18 years. Employees had two months notice that they would have to return the cars at the start of the new fiscal year.

Other cost cutting measures include reducing funds set aside for training and travel and cutting back on overtime. Sheriff Coats says overtime may become an issue in providing extra security for presidential candidates next year, or if a natural disaster should threaten the area.

Nobody lost their jobs as a result of cutbacks, although 52 people are being re-assigned.

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