Push for downtown security stalls

For about a year, downtown stakeholders have been having a conversation about adding additional security in the heart of the city. Many groups have participated in that conversation, but thus far, little progress has been made.

One of the individuals at the center of the push for more security is Norm Gollub, the city’s downtown economic development coordinator. Gollub has spoken with merchants, property owners and residents, and, although they’ve expressed an interest in getting additional eyes on crime and vagrancy downtown, they’re not as interested in contributing financially toward getting something done.

“Somebody needs to ante up,” Gollub said. “We’re having difficulty getting private property owners on board, and it’s frustrating.”

Gollub said there’s already a model to follow if the funding can be found. At the expense of owner Butch Isaac, a security guard from Sarasota Security Patrol monitors the businesses at Pineapple Square daily. Gollub said the merchants have responded positively to the guard’s work, and the Sarasota Police Department said he’s been a valuable asset in monitoring the area.

“He provides a constant presence and a sense of security for merchants,” Gollub said. “They really like having him there.”

In the quest to expand such a patrol throughout downtown, multiple problems have popped up, Gollub said. Many people believe paying for private security is a burden that shouldn’t fall on their shoulders.

Instead, they say, the city or an advisory group such as the Downtown Improvement District or Community Redevelopment Agency should foot the bill.

There are cities — Gollub cites Delray Beach — that fund additional security for the downtown core. In Sarasota, though, Gollub said that’s currently unrealistic due to budgetary constraints on the police department, the CRA and the DID.

Individual Main Street businesses are in a similar position. Gollub said he conducted a survey of business owners in the 1300 block of Main Street, the majority of whom said a lack of funds meant they would be reluctant, if not unable, to pay for private security.

“It’s not that they’re not willing to ante up,” Gollub said. “It’s just that they can’t afford it.”

One such business is Art Uptown, a cooperative art gallery located at 1367 Main St. Gallery staff agreed additional security would be useful, but it’s not something they would be able to contribute to financially.

“We’re a co-op,” treasurer Dana Clark said. “We’re a real nonprofit institution. We don’t really pay our employees enough as it is.”

On the other end of the spectrum is Ron Soto, owner of Soto’s Optical at 1383 Main St. Soto, a DID board member, agreed that other businesses should follow Pineapple Square’s example. Considering the expense Isaac puts into security alone — which Soto estimated at $60,000 annually — it shouldn’t be hard for multiple businesses to team up and contribute to a wider patrol, he said.

“I personally would be willing to put a little in the kitty,” Soto said. “When things are safer downtown, people come shopping more.”

Soto said that issues downtown have decreased recently, but that the SPD was limited in its ability to constantly monitor for problems in the area.

Peter Fanning, president of the Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association, agreed with Soto. Fanning said he was appreciative of the SPD’s work, but that during the nighttime hours, service seemed to decrease. Two SPD officers are dedicated to monitoring downtown during the daytime.

“I think that’s where there’s a lot of concern for residents downtown,” Fanning said. “It seems our regular patrol officers are not really available after about 7 p.m.”

Because the police budget is stretched thin, Fanning said the responsibility should fall to other downtown stakeholders to help cover the costs. Last year, Fanning approached the DID about residential property owners joining the taxing district to pay for additional security.

Those talks eventually crumbled, but Fanning is confident that condominium owners could play a part in funding security. However, he said, that willingness to contribute financially would not come immediately.

“I think if it were presented correctly, you would find the condo residents are good citizens and would step up to increase the presence of the security downtown,” Fanning said.

For now, all involved parties appear to be at an impasse.

“Until there’s an opportunity to revisit this later in the fall, I don’t think we will see much progress at all with the downtown private security effort,” Gollub said.

Contact David Conway at [email protected]