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More residents to hire off-duty deputies
By TIM GRANT © St. Petersburg Times, published January 5, 2001 CARROLLWOOD -- Private security guards have served Carrollwood Village for 15 years, but their days could be numbered now that residents want off-duty sheriff's deputies to watch their streets. For this community it came down to one question: How much is it worth to have peace of mind? Apparently, $182,000 a year is not too high a price for the psychological comfort that comes with badge-wearing law enforcement officers who can write tickets and make arrests. Not that Carrollwood Village is a hotbed of crime. But while it might be one of the least likely communities for violent crime, a woman was raped on West Village Drive two years ago while jogging in the darkness. By this spring, residents hope to have armed deputies on the payroll patrolling all three phases of Carrollwood Village. In doing so, they join a number of other neighborhoods, including Northdale, who have turned to the Sheriff's Office for extra protection. Carrollwood Village is not eliminating the community patrol entirely. Homeowners want to maintain their relationship with Wackenhut Security and use deputies about half the time. Last year, Northdale set aside $2,200 a month to pay off-duty deputies to conduct random, four-hour patrols of the area. The move, which was motivated primarily by speeding motorists, sparked heated debates at the monthly taxing district meetings. Last year four other neighborhood groups, including the Reserve Homeowner's Association in Tampa Palms, spent a total of $152,600 to hire deputies and officers. It costs $22 an hour to rent a sheriff's deputy. The officer gets $20, and the department gets $2 for the liability costs. Residents get a sworn officer, complete with squad car and handcuffs, to do their bidding.
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From the Times |
