The CRA and one more policeman

Originally when an additional policeman was okayed for the CRA District, we still had our own police department. People were crying out about crime and totally fed up. The cost to go with the PB Sheriff’s Office is over an additional one million dollars a year to the taxpayers of Lake Worth. Right now we are paying $13,852,000 a year with a 7% increase for the next two years and then 7.5% for the third year bringing our cost at the end of the third year to right over $17 mil for the year.

On top of that, we literally gave away all of our assets: our fleet, computers that were no longer any damn good because the Sheriff used a different type, along with radios that we still owed nearly one-half of a million dollars on that we can possibly sell for $250,000, uniforms, you name it. It cost us dearly. And it continues to cost us a bundle because there are still 47 men who elected to stay with our pension plan as mentioned at a commission meeting. What exactly is it really costing us per year to have the Sheriff? Shudders. You probably don’t want to know.

The Sheriff was to be our saving grace—to stop crime and solve all of our problems because we, with our very own police department, supposedly could not get the job done and they, with their unlimited resources would solve our problems. Of course, last night it was mentioned by Cpt. Silva, that there are 90 other officers and including himself, 91. That is what WE had before!!!!! But the Sheriff’s Resources were going to make everything so much better for all of us--canines, helicopters, SWAT, Gang task force, and all of the other services we were paying for anyway in our ad valorem.

Commissioner Jennings was right to question the expense of another officer last night. We have already paid dearly for the Sheriff and it seems that we just keep paying. By failing to reveal that the $90,000 expense was only for 8 months which was the rest of their budget year, the CRA Director covered this up. Cara Jennings had to mention it. The cost would really be $120,000 on a yearly basis for one more officer. Joan Oliva stood there dean-paned. When asked, she did say that she acted under direction of her Board.

Although the CRA can do just about what it pleases, and the Contract of this one officer was already a done deal, Commissioner Jennings did the correct thing last night by questioning this expense. I have nothing against the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department. So far, they seem to be on top of things here. I do have a problem with the cost and how we dole out money as does Commissioner Jennings.