Less than two years after building a gltzy new headquarters, the Sarasota Police Department may be on the budget chopping block. Saying they worry the city will be bankrupt in a decade if big action isn’t taken, Sarasota City Commissioners say radical cuts such as phasing out the city’s police force completely have to be on the table. Commissioenr Shannon Snyder proposes to gradually consolidate the Sarasota Police Department with the county Sheriff’s Office, which would take a significant bite out of the city’s costs. More than half of the $58 million spent out of the city’s general fund this year goes toward police.
