If projections hold, Dunnellon Police Department should be operating by early September

DUNNELLON — Four months ago, it seemed like the city of Dunnellon was not going to have a police department much longer.

But upset residents told city council members they wanted, and needed, their police department. And city officials, who had expressed a strong desire to continue the police department, vowed to find a solution.

Slowly but surely, city officials, together with the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the police department's new personnel, have put together an emerging staff that in the coming weeks is expected to meet the needs of the community.

Here's what we know:

What happened?

Most of the officers from the Dunnellon Police Department left for the MCSO, leaving a gaping hole for the police department to fill.

If the police department was dissolved, Sheriff Billy Woods told city leaders, his agency could assume patrolling the city at a cost of a little more than $1 million per year. If deputies were contracted temporarily to protect Dunnellon, the cost would be close to $900,000.

Woods and Mayor Wally Dunn eventually struck a deal: At no cost to the city, for 90 days, Woods would supply deputies to patrol the approximately 7.4 square miles and serve Dunnellon's 1,800 residents. That would give the city time to reconstitute its police department.

Deputies are expected to continue on patrol for free until early September. After that, the DPD will take over.

Present status

Dunnellon Police Chief Chris Scaglione told a Star-Banner reporter that his agency has four new hires. Three are ready to go on patrol and the fourth is in training. Three have prior law enforcement experience, while the fourth has experience as a corrections officer.

Scaglione said his agency plans to interview three other officers. DPD has two qualified FTOs (field training officers) overseeing training.

The chief said while sheriff's deputies still are working most of the calls, DPD officers are also out in the field learning the trade.

"We're still in the training phase, but we're looking good," the chief said.

Bump in starting pay

City officials have done some things to make the job of police officer more attractive.

At one point, the starting pay for DPD officers ranked among the bottom tier compared with nearby counties. City officials have bumped the starting salary from close to $41,000, to $44,000. That figure is expected to increase to $48,000 in October.

Currently, the police department's budget is more than $900,000.

The mayor

Dunn said if everything goes according to projections, the police department should be up and running by early September and the city won't have to pay the sheriff's office.

The mayor thanked Woods, Scaglione, city officials, officers and deputies who worked hard to ensure a smooth transition.

Chief Scaglione: Say hello to the City of Dunnellon's new police chief: Chris Scaglione

"I give them all the kudos and I can't thank Sheriff Woods enough for what he has done for us," Dunn said.

Dunn said the police budget for this year should be similar to the previous year. He said although two positions were cut, those eliminations will be made up in the 2024/2025 budget cycle.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Dunnellon police on track for fully resuming patrol in early September