At today’s M&P Town Council meeting, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department will make a presentation and answer council questions about public safety and the possibility of adding a Nuissance Abatement Board, according to the town council agenda. We are carrying the meeting live on our Facebook page.
It’s also expected that the Sheriff’s Department will make a presentation regarding enhanced services at that meeting. Translation: More boots on the sand.
The Sheriff’s Department will make a pitch for two Sheriff’s deputies dedicated to the beach 100%, at a cost of about $107,00 per year per deputy. That would be in addition to the coverage already provided by Lee County. The deputies would be the same two all the time so they could get to know the community.
The Sheriff’s department will pitch their idea as a pilot program that could be canceled at any time.
We will be broadcasting the council meeting live on our Facebook page HERE.
It would be great if the deputies assigned to the beach know our laws. For example, no electric bikes on the beach or sidewalks. No dogs off leash on the beach. You can have a 100 more boots on the sand; however, if they don’t enforce our laws what good are they? Also, enforce vehicles stopping at crosswalks for pedestrians.
I am in favor of the assignment of two full-time deputies to the beach; the suggestion/proposal that the officers be the same two permanently is a great idea. This idea is “old school” and represents the hallmark of community policing. My Father was a metropolitan police officer in Washington DC back in the early 1950s and for 10 years was assigned to a foot patrol in one of the worst areas of the city. By getting to know the people for whom he was providing services, Pop came to be known as the citizens personal cop. On those occasions when he needed their help, the citizens would come to his aid.
Anyway, at the very least, let’s try it for a while.
I most definitely am in favor of full-time police being on the beach
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