Pasco sheriff says county's law enforcement services 'well below' expectations
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco says his department is severely understaffed and struggling to keep up with the county's population growth under current conditions.
The sheriff took his concerns to county commissioners on Tuesday, zeroing in on Pasco's lack of deputies and a competitive disadvantage in salaries. According to data released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office ranks 64th out of the state's 67 counties in terms of deputies per 1,000 citizens.
For Pasco, that ratio is 1.06 deputies for every 1,000 citizens. Compare that to the high end: Monroe County has a 3.55 ratio. Closer to Pasco, Pinellas County has a modest ratio of 1.86, but to match even that number, Pasco would have to add 400 deputies. Sheriff Nocco told commissioners that he is not against the county's population growth and development, but that in order to meet this moment, leaders must confront certain budget realities.
"Picture Pasco County as a big restaurant; as a big wide-open restaurant," Sheriff Nocco told commissioners Tuesday. "Now, we’re putting tables in. So, when you bring the tables in, you bring people into the restaurant. Unless we increase the people to work in that restaurant, we are going to fall behind. And the people in the restaurant are going to get upset. They’re going to go, 'Where’s my food at? Where’s my water?'"
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The sheriff's comments came less than two weeks after Nocco announced he would be handing off the job of running the jail to Pasco County government this fall over financial issues. On top of the underlying staffing concerns, the sheriff said there is also an issue with pay. He said that currently, salaries simply are not competitive with surrounding agencies.
Starting salary for a Pasco deputy is less than $47,000 compared with nearly $54,000 for Hillsborough County and nearly $52,000 in Pinellas.
In terms of growth and permitting, the sheriff says Pasco should be adding two deputies for every 1,000 residents. If 10,000 new homes get permitted at an average of three people per household, he said, that would be 30,000 people, meaning the county would need 60 additional deputies.
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Nocco pointed out Tuesday that neighboring Polk County is preparing for this growth, adding 25 deputies a year above current staffing levels.
Florida Tax Watch reports that Pasco County comes in at 55th place in the state in funding for public safety. This week's meeting ended with commissioners calling for a workshop to take a closer look at the numbers.