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'Keep Our Cops' sentiment strong in Treasure Island

Those attending Tuesday's commission meeting favored not bringing in the Sheriff's Office for protection.

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published December 11, 2005

TREASURE ISLAND - When Butch Ellsworth's in-laws came to visit earlier this year, local police knocked on his door within a day to ask about the unfamiliar car in his driveway.

Treasure Island police officers responded to many calls from Douglas Summers when his mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. They also saved his dog after a car accident.

And they are the reason Ray Green's grandson wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

Ellsworth, Summers and Green were among the many residents who pleaded with city commissioners Tuesday night to drop the idea of letting the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office take over the local police force.

"We will not get that kind of service from the sheriff's department," said Ellsworth, a former commissioner who was among the citizens wearing "Keep Our Cops" T-shirts to the crowded public hearing.

Sheriff Jim Coats attended the meeting to make a second pitch for the city to contract with his agency for police services. Coats said his proposal could save the city between $13-million and $15-million in law enforcement costs over the next 10 years.

Commissioners aren't sure what to do. They don't want to make the decision to abolish the local department and they don't know if they want to give residents the option either.

They have scheduled another public hearing Dec. 20 to reconsider the issue. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 120 108th Ave.

After that hearing, commissioners have several options. They could table the issue. They could initiate an ordinance that would refer the matter to a vote at the next city election in March. Or, they could pose an "advisory question" to voters asking if residents want the city to keep talking about the sheriff's offer.

"I wouldn't be comfortable voting against the police department," said Commissioner Phil Collins. But he has been pushing to put the question on the March ballot.

"My concern here is to let the people have an opinion," he said.

Any decision to abolish the city police or fire departments has to be made by the voters and at least three of five commissioners because of a city charter amendment passed by residents earlier this year.

But City Attorney Maura Kiefer said the intent of the charter change was to allow residents to have a say after commissioners have voted on the matter.

Coats first made his offer to the city in August when former Chief Joseph Pelkington retired.

On Tuesday, Acting Chief Tim Casey was joined at the meeting by about 20 police officers and staff members of the Treasure Island department. Casey said the overwhelming desire within the department is to keep the local force.

"Numbers can be confusing and can get you going in the wrong direction when trying to make a decision," said Casey. "The bottom line is very simple: This is what you have now. The service is here, the officers are here and when you call for help you are talking to someone here."

About 140 residents signed a petition opposing a Sheriff's Office takeover.

City Manager Ralph Stone also has recommended the city keep control of the department.

"At the end of the day it really is about a quality of life we have here in Treasure Island," said Stone. "The community over its history has had an opportunity to do this cheaper and has chosen not to do that. I think those policy decisions have resulted in our current level of service and I think it would be a mistake to change. It definitely is not broken and in my opinion it's a Rolls-Royce."

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]