REDINGTON BEACH – Town commissioners voted unanimously June 15 to spend $1,480 for special deputies to patrol Gulf Boulevard on weekends in July.
Redington Beach Commissioners accepted a proposal by Commissioner Tom Dorgan and were swayed by an incident about six weeks ago when a motorist stopped at a crosswalk, let his foot slip off the break pedal and tapped a carriage carrying a small baby. No injuries occurred but the incident sent a red flag through the community.
The town will pay a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy $37 per hour for three hours of patrolling crosswalk areas on Gulf Boulevard, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning Saturday, July 3.
The lone exception to the schedule will be Sunday, July 4 when the deputy will patrol from 6 to 10 p.m.
The schedule coincides with a similar plan by North Redington Beach, which has contracted use of special deputies through the end of July, Friday through Sunday, from 4 to 8 p.m.
“I propose that we contract for coverage weekends during the month of July, renewable monthly based on needs and performance,” Dorgan said in a letter to his fellow commissioners. “The deputy’s responsibility would be to patrol Gulf Boulevard, with emphasis on crosswalks and traffic violators.”
Dorgan said the plan was designed “to enhance the safety of our residents when traveling to and from the beach across Gulf Boulevard.”
Dorgan said the town would receive $20 from each ticket written which would help to offset the town’s expense.
“Of course, this is not intended as a revenue source,” he said. “It’s being proposed in the interest of protecting our residents.”
“This is not a lot of money but I feel like this is a knee-jerk reaction,” said Commissioner Mark Deighton. “A couple of years ago we cut $28,000 out of the budget for an auxiliary policeman after we decided speeding was not an issue (on Gulf Boulevard). The speed limit is being observed. This is not justified.”
Commissioner Fred Steiermann agreed with Dorgan’s proposal.
“Government’s primary responsibility is to protect its residents,” Steiermann said. “The crosswalks are out there and cause problems. The public doesn’t understand them and the motorists don’t understand them.
“It’s a dangerous situation out there. Constantly people are slamming on their brakes and sooner or later somebody’s going to get hurt,” he added. “I don’t want to sit back and say we missed the boat.”
The Redington Beach schedule for special deputy patrols are as follows:
• Saturday, July 3, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, July 4, 6 to 10 p.m.
• Monday, July 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• July 10-11, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• July 17-18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• July 24-25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• July 31, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A decision on renewing the service into August will be discussed in July.
