There could be 80 more police officers on Jacksonville’s streets soon.
That is what Sheriff T.K. Waters is asking the new mayor and city council to fund this coming year.
Waters presented his budget to the current mayor’s staff who will pass it on to Mayor-elect Donna Deegan. The budget will be presented in July shortly after Deegan takes office.
The total city budget this year could reach $1.7 billion, maybe more, and the sheriff’s office takes up a good portion of that.
Waters is asking for nearly $600 million, about $35 million more than last year.
In the budget request, Waters is asking for 80 new officers with 40 to be paid for by the federal government and 40 being paid for by local tax dollars.
“The highlight is adding police officers, that’s the biggest thing. Add new police officers 40 from a cops grant that we applied for and 40 from our city fund,” Waters said. “Most of our new officers would go on street patrol.”
Waters said he originally wanted 200 officers, but he decided to ask for 80 in this budget.
Residents on the Westside, where the has been a recent crime increase, said Thursday more officers might help but many had no idea of what could work.
News4JAX reached out to Deegan about the budget but she did not want to comment yet.
Deegan did have some transition team members at the meeting who were asking questions.