The number of Florida Highway Patrol troopers patrolling Pinellas County has reached a record-breaking number this year, allowing for more proactive law enforcement, according to Sgt. Steve Gaskins.
"We can respond to more crashes, more rapidly, and (it) also frees up troopers to go out and do proactive enforcement as well," Gaskins said. "Being out here on the side of I-275, for example, doing speed enforcement."
In 2011, there were 13 troopers assigned to Pinellas County. That number has more than doubled over the past few years to 31 troopers, according to Gaskins. The number of speeding tickets written on I-275 has also jumped. From 2010 to 2012, troopers wrote 6,446 tickets. From 2013-to-2015, the number stands at 10,392 tickets.
Resident Nick Reinsch said he has noticed the increased FHP presence.
"I’m actually glad that there’s more highway patrol in the area," he said. "I think it just makes everybody more aware. It increases the safety."
Trooper Javier Hernandez was hired a few years ago to work for Troop C in Pinellas County and said he believes the extra enforcement is having a positive impact on drivers.
“I’ve definitely seen a change in people’s behavior as far as the driving," Hernandez said. "These motorists are becoming more aware and we’re enforcing it and being more proactive versus working crashes."
State Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, announced last year that he secured extra funding in the state budget for fiscal year 2014-2015 to add seven extra troopers in Pinellas County. Latvala said it was a response to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who said deputies were having to investigate traffic accidents on state roads because there weren't enough troopers.
"We were really dangerously low in our manning of troopers," Latvala said. "There were some shifts during the week where there were only two troopers on duty in the whole county to cover all the unincorporated area. So, we added the troopers, and it’s making a big difference, from what I hear."
Gaskins said the extra troopers also provide a visual deterrent.
"To see the troopers on the side of the road, it’s a reminder that, 'hey, I need to drive within the conditions and the limits of the law,' " he said. "We’re happy to have the extra man power, we’re happy to our lawmakers that have given us the budget to account for this and making sure that our roadways are safe here in the Tampa Bay area."
Latvala also secured funding to add six more troopers in Hillsborough County. The 2014 state budget added a total of 28 troopers for the entire state.