Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs proposes to eliminate the Orange County Public Safety Director position. Is this also a good idea to propose for Volusia County?
Updated February 4, 2011
"Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase."- Charles Caleb Colton
The Volusia County Department of Public Protection is made up of several divisions that report directly to the Public Protection Director. These divisions include - Animal Services, Beach Safety, Corrections, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Services and the Medical Examiner.
The Public Protection Director position is somewhat of a new position. About 10 years ago, this position did not exist. Each director of the above mentioned divisions reported directly to the County Manager's office.
Does the Orange County Mayor have a valid cost cutting idea that can be transplanted here in Volusia County? We invite you to review a local media article on the her proposal as well as her proposal letter to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. We propose that you, the taxpayer, decide whether this is a good idea for Volusia County government.
VolusiaExposed.Com believes that these divisions need more autonomy from the influences of each other. A prime example of this need for more autonomy can be seen in the Volusia County Jail in-custody death investigations. Jail deaths are investigated by the Volusia County Sheriff Department (VCSO). Although the VCSO is separate from the Volusia County Department of Corrections, both are law enforcement agencies. Since Florida in 1998 discontinued Florida Administrative Code 33-8, which mandated that all jail in-custody deaths be investigated by the State of Florida, the local medical examiner officer has been the last safeguard against an investigative cover up involving these death investigations.
In Florida, most Medical Examiner offices have their own autonomy from county government. However, since Volusia County is a "Home Rule" county, it operates and surpervises the medical examiner's office. Currently, as state above, both the jail and medical examiner reports directly to the Director of Public Protection.
We believe by eliminating the position of the Director of Public Protection it will foster two things:
1. a cost saving to the taxpayer
2. more autonomy to divisions that must check and balance each other.
After your review of the Veira death - we invite you to review other questionable deaths at the Volusia County Jail - in the particular the deaths of Jack Nelson and Muriel Comeau.