PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — With a growing population, law enforcement is already spread thin in Pasco County.
The county currently ranks 64th out of Florida's 67 counties in terms of law enforcement deputies per 1,000 people according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. They rank 55th out of 67 when it comes to public safety spending according to Florida Tax Watch.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco addressed those concerns to the County Board of Commissioners back in April.
“We’re just trying to maintain the level that we are at. We seem to just keep falling behind," he said.
In a written statement to 10 Tampa Bay, Nocco said in part, "increases in contracts, including medical and food services are a reality every year for the County Detention Facility, having a direct budgetary impact on the operations of the Sheriff’s Office, impacting our ability to address the continued growth in our county."
"To be clear, managing the County Detention Facility is not the Constitutional responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office," he added. "Recognizing this, as well, the Board of County Commissioners has additional financial options to deal with these types of increases. The Sheriff’s Office does not have access to reserve funding. Because of this, should a contract increase in the middle of the year, it directly impacts Sheriff’s Office operations."
You can read his full statement here.
However, the county says this is not about money.
"The transfer of the Detention Center operations from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office to the Board of County Commissioners isn’t about money, but rather allowing the Sheriff’s Office to focus on protecting our community," Pasco County spokesperson Ryan Hughes told 10 Tampa Bay.
On Oct. 1, a number of sheriff's office staffers will become Pasco County employees as part of the transition.
"I was a little nervous about the Oct. 1 deadline, but anything that is not finished or finalized we can continue to work on," said Pasco County Commissioner Chair Kathryn Starkey. "We will make it happen, and we welcome all those employees into the family."
Nocco said people who will be transitioning to become county employees will maintain the same rate of pay, tenure, rank and membership in the Florida Retirement System.