Pinellas sheriff makes additional cuts

Thursday, July 10, 2008

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Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats made additional cuts Thursday.

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats made additional cuts Thursday, telling 25 patrol deputies they're going to be jobless in a few weeks.

Their last day on the job will be August 8.

Coats said he's forced to make cuts because of Amendment One and the slow economy. The Pinellas County Commission is forcing him to reduce his yearly budget by $25 million (10% reduction in the overall budget) starting in October.

"I didn't think it would be as devastating as it's about to be or we're going to experience," he said.

In the past few weeks the sheriff has also cut 36 detention deputies.

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Because of all those cuts Coats predicts crime is going to rise next year in Pinellas County.

"I just think it's a shame and it's very disturbing to me that we're put in this position and the citizens of Pinellas County are put in this position, where their public safety is, I think, going to be compromised," Coats said.

Bay News 9 asked to talk to some of those deputies that are being laid off but we were told they were too upset to face the media.

Coats said all 25 patrol deputies have been with his department for a year or less.

But there is a sliver lining. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is in a position to offer jobs to those who lost theirs in Pinellas County. In fact, they started the interview process Thursday afternoon.

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