LAKE HELEN, Fla. – Lake Helen is considering whether to disband its police department and contract with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.
An official decision has not yet been made, but city leaders may have about one month to decide how to proceed.
They face two options: keep the current police department or contract with the sheriff’s office to serve as the main law enforcement agency.
“There’s no doubt that the sheriff’s office in any county has much broader resources than a small city,” said Lake Helen City Administrator Jim Gleason.
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Contracting with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office could save the small city money.
“I’m not going to fool you, there’s about $370,000 to $375,000 maybe in the first year if you compare apples to apples with the new budget for the Lake Helen Police Department and the sheriff’s budget,” Gleason said.
The city commission recently held a workshop to begin discussing the issue.
“The commission’s got a legal authority to make a vote but maybe get a feel from the community. This is such a big issue in the sense of what it might do emotionally, maybe put it out in November for referendum,” Gleason said.
If the city wants to put the decision on the November ballot for residents to decide, it must submit the referendum by September.
The city commission will decide whether to put the issue on the ballot or make the decision themselves at their next meeting on Aug. 21. It could call a special meeting before that, though.
“It’s a big decision for the commission to make without a good city support,” said Mayor Vernon Burton.
If the change is made, Lake Helen would join Deltona, DeBary, Pierson and Oak Hill as cities relying on the sheriff’s office instead of their own police departments.
The mayor noted there are pros and cons, including the impact on current police staff who would need to find new jobs.
“Our guys know every nook and cranny of the city and everybody they would have to investigate,” Burton said.
News 6 reached out to Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who said he wants to wait to comment until the city decides how to move forward.
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