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Sheriff seeks more deputies; LEAP apprentices, TDC positions eyed to boost beach patrol and zone coverage
Summary
Sheriff told commissioners recruitment is difficult, the county is using a state LEAP apprenticeship to hire locally, and two new tourism‑funded positions plus reconfigured patrol zones would add coverage for beach/tourist corridors and free up deputies for north/south county coverage.
The Gulf County sheriff reported staffing shortages and outlined a mix of strategies to increase patrol coverage, including law‑enforcement apprenticeships and tourism‑funded positions.
The sheriff said the department has used the LEAP (law enforcement apprenticeship) program — a state appropriation administered through the Deputy Sheriffs Association — to hire local recruits who are paid while they attend the academy. "It paid their salary throughout the entire time they were in the academy," the sheriff said, adding the program recently started with three apprentices and finished the year with two successfully completing training.
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