For there to be a need to make The Villages "a whole lot safer" with this proposal, this place must be very dangerous relative to driving and traffic. I am not aware of any official police data stating how dangerous The Villages is relative to other local areas.

Yep, I agree with you. Leave it to the professionals.

The Villages IS a city and as Redwitch said we cover three counties and the three police departments do a great job.

TV is not a dangerous to live.

Don't think so.....
 

1. The Villages is not a city. The politics of incorporating as a city and pre-empting part of the tax base from three counties and the City of Lady Lake would be virtually impossible politically, not to mention the difficulty with the various taxing districts we now operate under.

2. The Sheriff's Offices have budgets. They could not add more paid personnel without getting their respective County Commissions to raise their budgets, which would probably mean raising taxes. Don't hold your breath until that happens.

3. Even Reserve or Auxiliary Deputies would have to be trained in all aspects of Florida Law, and pass physical fitness, driving and firearms testing annually. Another BIG expense. And as a previously poster has said, repeatedly, liability, liability, liability.

4. I don't know how it is in Lake, Sumter and Marion Counties, but in Hillsborough, where I am from, Reserve II (Auxiliary) Deputies (who have never passed full Police Academy training) cannot perform law enforcement duties unless in the presence of a full-time Certified Deputy.

5. The Villages could hire a licensed guard service to provide "Security Guards" for security purposes, but they would not have law enforcement powers.

6. The need has not been demonstrated. It was simply someone's thought that perhaps we could get a little more traffic enforcement at a cheap price.

Well, no....
 

The Villages is not a city. Being a city requires incorporation as a city, and recognition by the State. The Villages is a census-designated place which originated in Sumter County, Florida. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake and Marion counties

Don't forget the FHP
 

Just as a matter of interest, part of The Villages is in Lake County. There are three Counties and the City of Lady Lake policing various parts of the area. Not to mention the Florida Highway Patrol on all State Roads.

And in all of these areas there are various federal law enforcement and different state and federal regulatory agencies operating in areas that you don't even think about. Add Community Watch and all of the traffic cameras and surveillance areas in the town squares and in the entrances to the individual Villages, and it is no wonder the crime rate is comparatively low for such a populous area.

Pretty sure you're wrong unless I'm missing something.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Villages,_Florida

The US Census ranked The Villages as the fastest-growing U.S. city for the second year in a row (during the 12 months ended July 2014)

Maybe there is something I don't understand about a CDP?

I don't think a CDD's structure allows for its own police force.

And if TV is a city, why is there no mayor? I agree with Carl that it isn't a city.

Everything I read says that TV is a city but it's 2 to 1 so I guess I'm wrong. I concede.

Good call Walter.

TV is bigger than many cities, and has many of the same characteristics of a city. But it is technically a CDD, a specific development designation somewhat similar to a city, but different in some very important ways.

Where in the world did that come from? :ohdear: They would be paid from the sheriff's budget.

This thread with few exception illustrates how little some resident understand the government model etc of The Villages. The community district model clearly speaks out to the fact that it was organized with no policing powers. This model has worked well. Crime has remained at a low ebb thanks to the Sheriffs Dept, Lady Lake Police, State Troopers and the watchful eye of Community Watch.

The demands made by some residents on these pages convince me that TVLSI (Developer) may be better at the management of this community because there are a number of residents that keep trying to fix something that "ain't" broke. They keeping inviting regulations that are unnecessary and will interfere with our way of life. And last but not least many of their suggestions seem to be made without the thought of the economic consequences.

Perhaps we all would be better off if we kick around our thoughts with our neighbors and consider their responses before we post here. Because those 3:00 o'clock in the morning ideas often lead to the road of "I should have had a V8".:ohdear:

Personal Best Regards:

Ditto

I like V-8