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March 30--Monroe County Sheriff Bob Peryam wants to borrow one of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District's helicopters from time to time.
Monday at the district board's meeting in Key West, Peryam sought permission to use a district helicopter when necessary for law enforcement purposes. He said it would be a public safety enhancement at a savings to county taxpayers.
He wasn't given a definitive yes or no.
"In these tough economic times, the people look for us to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. I would like to propose the Sheriff's Office and Mosquito Control form a partnership where it would be possible for the Sheriff's Office to utilize one of your aircraft on an hourly basis," he said.
Peryam said the helicopter would be used for search-and-rescue missions, possibly after disasters and to deal with "traffic issues."
"In the past we could go up in a helicopter. We have TraumaStar, but TraumaStar can only be used for medical use," he said, referring to the joint county and Sheriff's Office air ambulance.
Acting district Director Andrea Leal expressed concern about the availability of helicopters at certain times. She also said she would want district pilots fly them.
"It all depends month to month when our busy times are. Sometimes we have all four helicopters working on the same day," she said. Peryam said he "wouldn't say no" to district pilots flying for the Sheriff's Office, but was clear he'd prefer his own staff.
"It's better for us to use our pilots because they're law-enforcement trained. They know what we're looking for and they're available 24 hours a day. In the event we have to call a pilot out of bed at 3 a.m., two hours later we don't need him," he said.
Several commissioners voiced similar sentiments to Leal, while Chairman Bill Shaw mentioned possible insurance increases for attaching the Sheriff's Office to its policies. Peryam said the Sheriff's Office would cover those costs or procure its own insurance if necessary.
District and Sheriff's Office staff will discuss the request further and report back at a future meeting.
