TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sheriff Rearranges Assets

ADVERTISEMENT

By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: February 5, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Pasco County Sheriff Bob White announced Wednesday that recent changes at the sheriff's office will mean 30 more deputies on the "front lines" in his fight against crime.

By combining some units and eliminating others, several sergeants have been redeployed to patrol duty, and some deputies have been promoted to sergeant.

White, who has battled with Pasco County commissioners over money for his department, said the changes were spurred by a dwindling budget that has included no new deputies in two years.

"We had to look at what we can do without," he said. "Accreditation is essential, but we eliminated the accreditations manager and moved that person to the communications center. I've never had enough people in the communications center. That's the first place people contact us, and they expect a competent response."

Eliminated positions include a sergeant in the agriculture unit and the sheriff's chief pilot, both of whom were moved to patrol duty, and an organizational development manager.

Other changes include combining the Selective Traffic Enforcement Patrol, known as STEP, and Motor units, indefinitely suspending non-mandatory out-of-county training for command staff and eliminating the sheriff's Community Policing Teams, which identified issues in specific communities. Community policing work will now be done by patrol deputies, Maj. Maurice Radford said.

One attorney also was eliminated.

"We also re-shopped and got a cap on what the contract attorney can make per year," White said. "Our new general counsel is making $6,000 a year less."

He said five positions were freed by workers who retired.

In January, three high-ranking employees turned in letters of resignation.

In the letters, Capt. "Skip" Stone, a 28-year-agency veteran, and Capt. James Driscoll, who came to the agency in January 2001 as White took over the office, announced their retirements. Mike Randall, the sheriff's office general counsel, tendered his resignation Dec. 31.

At the time, White didn't comment specifically on any of the departures, stating simply that people leave the agency all the time.

"We don't look back. We keep looking forward," he said.

On Wednesday, White said a new cell phone provider will mean an estimated $60,000 a year in savings, and he also hopes to attract more volunteers. Hundreds of man-hours also will be saved by bringing traffic-ticket data work online.

"I took our assets and put them on the front lines," White said. "Sergeants will now have more time to be doing the things they should have been doing all along. We're trying to get ahead of the economic downturn.

"Citizens want to dial the phone and see action. These are extraordinary times. The call on us today is to perform like we've never performed before. We're about as lean as anybody can get."

Lisa A. Davis contributed to this report. Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT