Live Oak Police Chief Buddy Williams asked the Live Oak City Council during a workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to consider adding more positions to the Live Oak Police Department to supplement the LOPD’s participation in the Drug Task Force with the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. According to Williams, the LOPD has been short-staffed lately, a problem that will only be exacerbated if the agency continues to send an officer to work with the task force.

“The task force formed in 1997 or 1998, and it initially started with one officer from each agency [LOPD and SCSO],” explained Williams. “Since that time, we’ve always had an officer on the task force. But times have changed.”

Williams said he was considering not assigning an officer to the task force so he could strengthen his 10-person patrol division. With the upcoming resignation of one experienced officer, the LOPD will have to fill that vacancy, resulting in half of the police patrol having less than a year and a half of experience, according to Williams.

“What I really want to do is look out for the operations of my men and women at the LOPD,” said Williams. “We’re answering between 275 and 375 calls a week. Crime’s not slowed down; we’re busy, and we’re getting in a more violent community. My main concern is officer safety and to provide the best quality service we have.”

Williams said although the county is a larger area than the city, the LOPD was getting about the same number of calls as the SCSO.

“I just don’t have the resources to send over there [to the task force],” said Williams. “I’d really like the council to consider unfreezing a position that was taken away about three years ago so we can get fully staffed and become more effective and more efficient.”

Without the LOPD’s officer, the Drug Task Force is left with four SCSO deputies and a state grant manager provided by the SCSO, said Sheriff Tony Cameron. Cameron asked Williams to continue providing one officer, stating 50 percent of Drug Task Force cases were made inside city limits.

“It’s not just the LOPD that’s short,” said Cameron. “I ask you to stay with us and keep the course. This is something we really need to stick together on, because 75 percent of the crimes committed in Suwannee County and across America are drug-related. It’s either people stealing and robbing to pay for drugs, domestic violence to do with drugs and alcohol, people getting shot and killed over drugs – just about anything usually has some form of drug relationship. And to not have someone from the city with us on this is not going to work well. I need the extra person.”

Williams asked the city council to consider unfreezing a position at the LOPD and adding on one more in order to keep an officer in the Drug Task Force and to effectively run the LOPD. Council President Bennie Thomas questioned why the chief hadn’t approached the council before with his staffing issues, and Williams said he had consistently been shut down due to lack of funds.

“I think when it comes down to law enforcement and the fire department, there’s no limit on it,” said Thomas. “That’s important.”

The council agreed to place the issue on the agenda of a future meeting to discuss leaving an LOPD officer on the Drug Task Force, unfreezing an officer position, and hiring an additional officer.