Pinellas Sheriff to Attend Dunedin City Meetings
In response to a December request from Dunedin city leaders, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office agreed to attend commission meetings on a quarterly basis, the City Clerk's Office reports.
Residents should hear from law enforcement officials more often in 2013.
This comes in response to a December request from city leaders asking the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for more face time at public meetings.
A verbal agreement was made with the Sheriff's Office to have a someone attend Dunedin commission meetings on a quarterly basis (on the second meeting of the month), at no additional charge to the city, the City Clerk's Office reported Thursday.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda explained that the Sheriff's Office is committed to addressing the needs and concerns of the cities it patrols. Barreda said the Sheriff received the city's request on Dec. 19, the same day a Dunedin Patch story about Mayor Dave Eggers request for oversight was published.
Some city governments, like Indian Rocks Beach, have the Sheriff's Office give verbal reports at public meetings as frequently as twice a month.
"Every city is different," Barreda explained.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office was never asked to regularly attend public meetings for the purpose of giving verbal reports or addressing residential concerns.
Nancy Duggan, city liaison to the Sheriff's Office, told Dunedin Patch last summer that she believed the city's crime issues were adequately being addressed by staff, the Sheriff's Office and the Public Safety Committee, thus officials had never considered asking deputies to attend public meetings.
The Sheriff's Office already provides a written monthly traffic and crime analysis to city officials.
But recent rumblings from disgruntled southside residents concerned about neighborhood crime got Eggers thinking about the city's relationship with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. He asked for more transparency during the commission comment section of the Dec. 6 public meeting at City Hall.
"That's the largest contract in the city," he said. " ... And nobody really has any interaction here with them," he said.
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- Sheriff to Move New Captain to North District Station, Consolidate PAL Program
- Residents Dissolve Lyndhurst Street Neighborhood Watch
- Sheriff: 'No Magic Wand' for Southside Drug Activity
- Southside Crime: Residents Sound Off
Lori
8:30 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
"Disgruntled" Southside residents....How about scared, how about VERY concerned not only for safety but property values...BIG deal about the sheriff speaking....THE MAYOR AND PCSO NEED TO DO SOMETHING! This CONTINUED lip service is crap!
Cecilia
9:08 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Hopefully this will help the issues in the Southside of Dunedin. Until it is given a chance we never know. Let's try to be positive - you never know 'til you try.
I know my fingers are crossed for good luck.
Stacy Rush
10:12 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Since City last met with Sheriff and his men in late November, things have improved some what. Deputies walking door to door, bike patrol and listening to residence has also improved. Odd foot and car traffic has declined on our block. Thank you Deputy Howard for your hard work and commitment to making Dunedin Streets safe.
Lori
10:25 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Stacy really happy for you but thats not the case over at the horseshoe on Plaza and Helen...We See NOTHING except "odd foot traffic" (and bicycle) as you say.
Lori
10:12 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Cecilia...may I ask if you live in the Southside
Cecilia
5:50 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
I live in DUNEDIN - I want safety for all or us - this is not a northside/southside issue, this is a DUNEDIN issue. Any possible help to resolving situations in our community should be looked at as a positive not a negative. If this does not work, then so be it and something else has to be implemented; but in the meantime, it is something, and it needs to be welcomed. All areas of Dunedin should be safe not just one side or the other. Lori, I want this to work. Will it? I do not know. I do know if it is not given a chance, it will not. Never meant to be disrespectful to any part of our city.
Karen Burton
3:06 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013
I live on the Southside and we need better lighting all along Douglas. It is way too dark and the library is the perfect drug dealer's rendezvous. Also around the side of Marguerite's near the retention pond on Lexington. Brighter lights, please! Plus check around the businesses across the street from the library in the back by the trail late at night, and all of Union from Dunedin Elementary and Middle School to Munchees, then all the way west to Edgewater. Too much speeding and odd characters walking around looking for any opportunity to commit crime.
Maggy Mae
9:20 am on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Karen, FINALLY someone has posted a practical suggestion, and with examples! Thank you. Using up all PCSO with patrol cars parked or patrolling is expensive and a band-aid approach. This area and adjacent, including Betty Lane, Sedeeva, Chenango, and surrounding need lights! Stacey, maybe you need to try and put the wheels in motion on that. It is a process.
Stacy Rush
1:11 pm on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Maggie you and Karen made great suggestions. I can tell you citu does read the Patch. I am sure they will work on making all of Dunedin safe.