Lake Helen, Florida.After a few hours of moving testimony from officers and citizens, the Lake Helen City Commission decided Monday night to retain its police force.
In order to determine whether to disband the city’s police force and contract services through the Volusia Sheriff’s Office—a move that city officials claimed might save over $370,000 a year—a special meeting was called.
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Many locals and officers made passionate requests to keep the department open to the standing-room-only crowd.
Small cities are where I’ve always worked. One officer told the commission that small cities want the kind of service this police force provides. The sheriff’s office is powerless to match that.
A number of cops discussed their commitment to the community and their worries about losing their pensions and jobs.
Lake Helen is where I came from. According to one officer, I dedicated my career to Lake Helen. My pension will be lost if I leave. My age is forty-four. Where can I begin receiving a pension?
Additionally, residents related first-hand accounts of how the police handled crises in their lives. One remembered dialing 911 following the loss of their kid.
The resident stated, “They were at my house.” The same thing happened to my mom when she was ill. They arrived there first.
Some claimed that the city must make difficult budget decisions to prevent tax increases, even if the majority spoke in favor of preserving the agency.
According to one local, the problem is that we need to fix our finances. If we are unable to make any changes to our budget, I will be unable to continue paying the taxes that are increasing.
In the end, the panel decided 3-2 to keep the department. Although there are now no plans for additional talks, Mayor Vernon Burton stated that the subject might be brought up again the following year.
Burton stated following the meeting that they were concerned citizens who spoke up.
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