Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office looking to make upgrades

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla- Moldy buildings, expensive rent and an exploding population are forcing the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to consider major changes. CCSO says it even needs a new headquarters.

“We’re starting to grow out of a lot of our facilities I know over the next few years. If they’re right, they’re predicting that Charlotte County’s going to have a population explosion,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell.

Sheriff Prummell talked only to WINK News about preliminary plans to revamp facilities in the future, with tax payer dollars.

“We’re looking at potentially a new training building. It’s an old building and actually the back half of that building is leaking and it has mold,” said Sheriff Prummell.

Not only are some buildings not up to code, other district substations are just too expensive. Rent for district four’s substation in the Promenades Mall is more than $300,000 a year. Sheriff Prummell also says they’ve outgrown their headquarters near the airport and the county is already setting their sights on a few locations to build on.

“If they’re able to building facilities over time it’s going to pay for itself where if we keep paying leases year to year to year the burden on the taxpayers is going to be tremendous,” said Sheriff Prummell.

He says nothing is a done deal as of right now but the county is looking into property near Charlotte Harbor or moving the headquarters to Murdock Circle near the county admin building.