Dunedin wins federal grant for another deputy

The city would have to find money in its tight budget to accept the grant because it requires matching money.

By LEON M. TUCKER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 4, 2002

DUNEDIN -- The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the city a $75,000 grant to put toward an additional Pinellas County sheriff's deputy to patrol the area.

But there is the possibility the city might postpone accepting the Community Oriented Policing Services grant because it requires a substantial match, which may not be available in the city budget.

The city's budget already is tight because of expenses to keep the Toronto Blue Jays spring training facility in the city and increased insurance costs. If the city accepts the grant, it's matching share would be $75,000 over three years

"We apply for the grant and then we take (the award notification) to the commission and the commission decides at that point if they want to do that," said Barbara Fidler, the city's liaison to the Sheriff's Office. "But I haven't received the notification yet, and we can't do anything until then."

The city has three years to decide if it will use the federal money.

Dunedin applied for the COPS grant in May with the help of Kathy Corr, the Sheriff's Office grants administrator.

Dunedin was one of hundreds of cities across the country and dozens in Florida to receive a grant that would pay for half the cost of hiring a new sheriff's deputy.

The grant money, which is distributed over three years, is designed to help offset costs like salary, benefits and startup expenses such as providing uniforms and weapons for new hires. If the city accepts the grant, it would have to pay for and keep the new deputy an additional fourth year.

"It is relatively easy to get this money," said Corr. "We have over the years gotten a couple of dozen (deputies) and many other law enforcement agencies apply. But they also have to come up with the additional (match) money."

Sgt. Darrell Herrick, who is in charge of community policing in the Sheriff's Office's North District Station, suggested the city apply for the grant.

Herrick, who based his recommendation on the nearly 800 motor vehicle accidents in Dunedin last year, said the city could use the help of another deputy whose primary duty would be addressing traffic concerns.

"Basically, we approached the city with the idea that an additional deputy would help reduce accidents," he said. "We would like to have a full-time officer target all the traffic-related problems in Dunedin to see if we can reduce that number of accidents and increase public safety."

Of the 44 officers who are based in the north district station in Dunedin, four are assigned exclusively to patrol the city.

Though it is set up for three years, the COPS grant requires that cities pay to keep the position on the force a year after the money runs out.

If the city opts out of the additional deputy after four years, sheriff's officials say the position would be recycled into the Sheriff's Office general deputy pool.

"We might absorb that deputy back into the agency," Corr said. "In all likelihood, no one is going to lose their job."

-- Leon M. Tucker can be reached at (727) 445-4167 or tucker@sptimes.com.

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