SJC sheriff seeks to add 21 deputies, meet needs with $10 million budget increase

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL. – St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick is calling for a $10 million increase in the Sheriff's Office budget to meet growing public demands and get more deputies on the streets.

The sheriff will present his $128 million budget request at the St. Johns County commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Hardwick said the budget will help the county meet its needs and provide adequate resources for visitors and residents.

“I think it's a bit of a holistic view of the situation as deputy sheriffs in uniform in a car, but also the services in our jail that make people better people than the ones they're in arrived, which reduced recidivism in St. Johns County over three years by 10 percent,” Hardwick said.

Hardwicks is asking for $10 million more than last year's budget. He said the increase would be used to address needs such as compensation, benefits and equipment upgrades.

RELATED: St. Johns County sheriff requests $13 million budget increase, plans to raise starting salaries for deputies by $3,000

“If I were to go page by page, it breaks down everything from taxes to people to Social Security to what they pay,” Hardwick said. “We move straight to the meat and potatoes. And that's what we're asking for, 21 new positions. And that's where the money goes, it goes to pay and benefits and taking care of our people. However, we have to provide equipment, and equipment is expensive.

Hardwick said it could cost about $206,000 for a deputy to patrol the streets with a $55,000 base salary, a $68,000 car plus equipment, retirement pay, weapons fire and training.

The budget shows that more than $24,500,000 would cover operating expenses and more than $98 million would cover personnel services.

Hardwick said the 21 positions he wants to add will mostly be deputy positions if approved.

“Our budget has increased significantly since I became sheriff a little over three and a half years ago,” Hardwick said. “If they had to dismantle the budget, it would be to replace old and outdated equipment. It’s about investing in real-time intelligence and technology-enabled policing. It's about investing in our people who keep people safe when they go to bed at night. »

The previous year, the sheriff's office requested 23 additional deputy positions, and it was approved. Hardwick said the department also saw “significant increases” in salaries in 2023.

“So it's about putting the right people in the right seats, but also paying them properly. When I took over as sheriff, the salary was in the $30,000 range. And now they're at $30,000. in the $50,000s,” Hardwick said.

SJSO has nearly 1,000 employees. Hardwick said he took care of everyone, from the maintenance staff to the prison operators.

“This is a sheriff’s office that takes care of everyone in the agency,” he said.