Last night the Escambia Board of County Commissioners approved its 2014-15 budget. At request of a commissioner (mostly likely Gene Valentino), the Escambia County Sheriff’s budget request for $750,000 for additional deputies was voted on separately. Commissioners Valentino and Wilson Robertson voted against it, without any discussion or debate.
For the past month, I’ve been reaching out to contacts in the U.S. Department of Justice trying to find out why DOJ dropped its investigation into the county jail. The only answer I’ve gotten so far is the Civil Rights Division closed the case because of the jail explosion. I’ve asked what about the civil rights issues, particularly the treatment of mentally ill inmates. I will post that answer as soon as I get it.