Dispatch Center's Fate Could Be Decided By Voters

On Sept. 21, the Gulfport City Council voted 3-2 to outsource the Gulfport Police Department's dispatch services in an effort to balance the city's operating budget and put money into the general reserve fund.

Since then, a group of citizens has come together to try to keep the dispatch center from being outsourced to another agency by gathering petitions to bring a charter amendment to a public vote.

Frank Verdino says the group is gathering signatures to allow Gulfport voters to decide whether the Gulfport Police Department should become a chartered department.

How could that save the dispatch center?

Verdino and his supporters believe that by adding the Gulfport Police Department as a chartered department, any "major changes," such as outsourcing communications, would have to be decided by a public vote, not the passing of an ordinance by the Gulfport City Council.

"If you sign it, you’re saying you want the police department, as is, to become part of the charter," Verdino says, including dispatch.

Why take action?

Verdino says he and other supporters felt angry, frustrated and disappointed when the council voted 3-2 to outsource dispatch.

“Thirty to 40 people stood in front of council and said 'No, this isn't what we want.' If you can’t convince your constituents that what you’re doing is the right thing, than maybe you're not doing the right thing.”

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When asked about the protocol, Gulfport City Manager Jim O'Reilly said he couldn't comment because he has not seen the petition.

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If organizers gather the minimum amount of votes, just less than 1,000, and the signatures are verified, the vote will be on the ballot of the March 13 municipal elections.

According to the Gulfport City Charter Amendment (Section 314), the signatures have to be turned in to the city clerk at least 120 days before the next general municipal elections. According to City Clerk Lesley DeMuth, the deadline is Nov. 14.

But Verdino says the group needs to turn them in sooner than that. Volunteers are hoping to have enough to turn in early next week so they can be verified by the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections before the city council formally accepts the proposal for dispatch services from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

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City Manager Jim O'Reilly says Police Chief Robert Vincent and his staff recently performed an evaluation of the sheriff's office proposal and the St. Petersburg Police Department's proposal for dispatch services and decided to move forward with the sheriff's office. O'Reilly says the city hopes to have a formal proposal from the sheriff's office by the first week of November. He says it will require one vote from the council at a regular city council meeting.

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Suncoast PBA General Counsel and Executive Director Michael Krohn says the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association is aware of the petitions circulating in Gulfport.

“We represent the dispatchers; we stand behind them and the citizens in what they’re trying to do. What they are trying to do is keep the (police) department from being disbanded," Krohn said.

Krohn said the Suncoast PBA represents the dispatchers but is not involved with the legal course of the referendum yet. "At this point, we are going to see how many petitioners we will get, (then) we'll see what we can do legally,” he said.

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If you're interested in volunteering or signing the petition, organizers will be available on Saturday, Oct. 15.

At least a dozen people are expected to meet at the Gulfport Neighborhood Center, 1617 49th St. S, at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. From there, people will go door to door and set up in front of the Liberty Gas Station/Kwik Stop, 5227 Gulfport Blvd. S, beginning at 10 a.m. to solicit signatures.

Organizers will also have a table on Beach Boulevard during the Third Saturday Art Walk.

For information about volunteering, the petition itself or providing a signature, contact Frank Verdino at (727) 324-9517 or verdino.frank@yahoo.com.