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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.
On patrol strategy, the sheriff described plans to realign zones and add positions funded by Tourist Development Council (TDC) dollars for high‑traffic corridors. He said the aim is to move from two large zones toward three zones, which would allow a deputy to cover a defined north segment, another to cover the south, and a supervisor to float as needed. The extra TDC positions would be used in the tourist corridor to handle traffic and high‑volume calls, freeing up other deputies for broader coverage.
Beach patrol and seasonal staffing
The sheriff said the beach patrol currently maintains one full‑time officer (named Caleb in the meeting) and adds a second during high seasons (spring break and Memorial Day‑to‑Labor Day peaks). He told the board that spring break and other surge periods create heavy demand: “We get calls all the time… 17,000 cars come into Port Saint Joe on July 3,” he said, urging more seasonal coverage when the tourist flow spikes.
Recruitment challenges and pay
The sheriff told commissioners recruiting remains the chief constraint and that the department continues to advertise vacancies; he reported being short by one deputy at the time of the meeting. He also suggested workforce housing is a recruitment barrier and thanked the board for ongoing attention to that issue.
No formal vote
The discussion produced no formal board action but informed budget line items and a request to consider additional positions funded by TDC money.
Why it matters
Staffing levels directly affect response times for law enforcement and the county’s ability to stand up a year‑round beach patrol. Commissioners said they support exploring the second person during high season and using TDC funds for tourist‑area coverage.
Ending
Sheriff and commissioners agreed to continue recruitment and to pursue the two TDC positions to improve coverage in tourist corridors; staff will reflect any approved positions in the final budget.
