Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/138828
Sarasota News Leader June 21, 2013 Page 10 os, actually, if they're not being responsive to what's going on … There will be a hole, eventually, that happens, and you're trying to do the patchwork." "When bad things happen … they call the sheriff," Knight replied. "Is it becoming more frequent? Yes. Is it becoming a major concern of mine? Is it affecting my overtime? Yes. Yes. Does it create a continuity of command and control? Yes." "I pay as much in taxes to the city as I pay to the county, and probably half of that goes to the police, and they actually have a higher manpower per citizen than you enjoy," Commissioner Nora Patterson told Knight. "Nevertheless," she continued, "[the city also has] a higher crime rate …" When Barbetta asked if Knight and his staff are logging their expenses in the city cases, Knight responded, "It's really hard to track. … Last weekend, we had a lot of extra duties, deputies" in Newtown, Knight added, noting later that he had 20 deputies involved in one recent case in that community. Knight told the News Leader his deputies also are getting called in to help with noise code enforcement on Main Street in Sarasota. Sheriff Tom Knight. Contributed photo "Is the city administration being made aware Knight said he had seen other law enforcement agencies — including local ones — fail of it?" Barbetta asked. to plan properly for future staffing needs, and "Our watch commanders talk to [city] watch they are "really struggling financially" to keep commanders all the time," Knight said. enough personnel. The sheriff was scheduled to appear before the County Commission on June 18 to present the findings of a workforce study he had commissioned for his office. The discussion about his personnel assisting the Police Department arose during that session. He did not want to have to come back in five or seven years asking for an extra $12 million, for example, he told the News Leader, because he had not adequately gauged his needs as a result of having to continue to handle calls in the city.