Sheriff's Office funding

Vice president of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue urged the board not to cut sheriff funding, saying reduced funding would cripple search-and-rescue response for missing children and elderly residents and increase cold cases.

Chamber of Commerce CEO endorsed the sheriff's full funding request on behalf of more than 1,000 member businesses, calling a safe community the foundation of a thriving economy.

Resident praised the sheriff's office and urged the board not to cut the budget, recounting an officer who died helping a citizen.

Trauma Recovery Alliance co-founder urged full funding, highlighting the IRIS mental health team, school resource deputies, K-9 teams, and aviation and marine search-and-rescue units.

Retired police chief with 30 years in law enforcement argued police budgets are built on rigorous national accreditation standards and warned cuts directly slow emergency response times.