Crescent City turns to Putnam County Sheriff due to officer shortage

Following the unexpected resignations of the chief of police and another officer, the Crescent City Police Department needs the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office to help cover the area.

The CCPD also lost a Sergeant over the summer, according to a PCSO official.

Those three positions make up nearly half of their staff, as there are now only four officers with the CCPD.

“Do you believe the people are getting their money’s worth as far as paying their taxes?” Action News Jax Reporter Russell Colburn asked the City Manager, Patrick Kennedy.

“Oh, yes, absolutely,” Kennedy said.  “It’s unfortunate, unexpected, and not necessarily desired, but the city is prepared to move forward and quickly to re-establish the full complement of law enforcement services.”

Crescent City Mayor Brett Peterson said he and now-former Police Chief Angelo Damiano got into a disagreement about how the city should be managed, and Damiano quit last Thursday.  Another officer resigned the next day.

While the PCSO won’t commit to having deputies there 24/7, the sheriff says a four-deputy unit that works in the southern part of county will help.

Tuesday, we saw PCSO deputies respond to several calls in Crescent City, including one for an aggressive driver who had fled the scene.

But with change, comes concerns over response times and that the sheriff’s office is being stretched too thin.

“It does make you a little worried because you want to make sure that you’re feeling safe and secure to know that if you can then someone is going to be there in a timely manner,” said a neighbor who only wanted to go by Dee.

Kennedy said the city will discuss its next plans at a meeting on Sept. 11.

Cox Media Group