Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/104211
Sarasota News Leader January 18, 2013 Page 32 the City of Sarasota have hardened hurricane Rose told the News Leader this week that the facilities for their law enforcement officers. jail population has continued to hover around the 900-person mark. Air quality problems are yet another issue with which he and his staff have to contend, "We would hate, without discussing a good study, to build something that may not be he said. needed that quickly," Knight told the commisKnight requested the workshop with the sion. County Commission to delve into the issues. Although criminologists four years ago had In response to a question from Barbetta, predicted crime rates would continue to rise, Knight said the commissioners need to decide he added, that has not been the case. whether the Sheriff's Office will continue to operate the 911 call center when the EOC is Barbetta noted that when he was elected to the County Commission in 2006, one of the completed. first major points he heard discussed was the Knight added that Assistant County Adminis- need for a new jail — although that was prior trator Tom Harmer planned to talk with him to Knight's election, he added. and his staff about that and the EOC design. Reid mentioned he understood the site of the former city police department had been unDOWNTOWN OPTIONS der consideration for a new courthouse tower, Barbetta agreed that the idea for a workshop Patterson responded, "Maybe at this point we was a good one — "the sooner the better." don't need [the] tower … given growth in the county has ground to a virtual standstill. But He also pointed out that the county owns the I suppose in the long run we will, and maybe property across from the Sheriff's Office fait's possible to combine … needs." cility on Ringling Boulevard — the site where the former Sarasota Police Department stood. Patterson added, "No matter how great a job "And I thought the intent was eventually to our sheriff and law enforcement do, sooner or build a public safety center there and possibly later you're going to need a new jail site, but move you across the street," he added, with the dollar issue is there whenever it is … I see the possibility the sheriff's current facility well in excess of $100 million worth of needs could be demolished to make way for an ad- in the next 10 to 20 years, if I add it all up." dition to the jail. Phasing in new facilities would make sense, Knight said that was another topic that should Knight said. His concern, he added, was to make certain the issues did not remain in be discussed in the workshop. prolonged discussion, "and we end up getting The jail population has been falling, Knight whacked by a hurricane … and we [lose] all added. While the facility is designed for 2,000 of our equipment. … I don't think we need to people, he said, only about 900 were in the jail wait three or four years and put ourselves in a position to regret it." % the previous week.