Local

Email blasts supervisors at Orange County Sheriff's Office about deputy shortage

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates found out Orange County is still plagued by a shortage of deputies, and now there’s a concern there are not enough patrols in the tourist corridor.

Channel 9’s Shannon Butler obtained an email a captain sent to supervisors, telling them that minimum staffing falls on them, not deputies.

The email was sent after several shifts had too many holes in the tourist corridor, at times with four deputies on patrol.

Part of the email read, “There seems to be a culture of ‘getting by’ or not complying with your chains request that you meet minimum staffing.”

International Drive has been in the spotlight recently after a tourist from Turkey was killed in a robbery.

On Sunday night, call logs show that three tourists in the area were robbed.

Numbers from the Sheriff’s Office show that crime as a whole is up on I-Drive since 2015.

Most of the increase is with auto burglaries, and violent crime is down.

Part of the issue, deputies said, is lack of manpower.

Records show the area is down five deputies.

Deputies said they are so short at the sheriff’s office that when someone calls out sick or asks for a day off, it leaves an unfilled hole.

The email told supervisors that minimum staffing has to be met or the supervisors, not deputies, will be disciplined and the supervisor may have to go out on patrol instead.

The email made it clear that calling for help from other parts of the county was not allowed.