Council approves temporary Downtown Management District sheriff patrols funded through month; cost about $20,000/month

Council members approved a short-term downtown security arrangement on Oct. 14 that continues an initiative led by the Downtown Lexington Management District (DLMD) and the county sheriff’s office to deploy deputy patrols in the downtown corridor.

Council member Ehlinger asked for an explanation. Jeff and DLMD chair Jim Frazier described the program: DLMD contracted with the sheriff’s office to provide targeted patrols in a long corridor from Broadway to Midland, including Short Street and Vine Street, focusing on peak hours. Frazier said patrols typically deploy two armed deputies who walk together during scheduled shifts and that the deputies have been visible and engaging with businesses and the public. He noted garages have separate, private security arrangements and are not part of the sheriff patrols.

Frazier said the DLMD-funded sheriff patrols run through Oct. 31 under the current arrangement; staff said the district paid the first payroll and the program’s cost is running at roughly $20,000 per month. He said the district can request extensions depending on available budget and council preference.

Council members, including Brown, praised the partnership between DLMD and the sheriff’s office and said the patrols had been well-received. The council approved the new-business item including the DLMD security funding by voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally.