Edwin Perez moved to Haines City in 2022. He is one of the 145,000 people who have moved to Polk County in the last six years.
“The growth is a great thing, but what I’ve noticed is that the supplies of roads, schools, of police presence are taking a backseat,” Perez said.
With the fastest growth happening in the northeast area of the county, the sheriff’s office has just opened its new Ridge District Office in Poinciana. It is the agency’s sixth district station.
“County leaders and the sheriff’s team of experts considered a variety of factors when deciding to build a station. They look for growth in a particular area, deputies’ response time, equipment that’s needed, the size of the facility, especially as it relates to future growth and the needs of the residence and the businesses in this area,” said Polk County Commissioner Martha Santiago.
The new facility on Marigold Avenue will provide law enforcement, patrol, and investigative services to the unincorporated areas of Poinciana, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Hamilton, and Dundee.
This covers a population of about 136,000 people. Authorities said the district already accounts for nearly 18 percent of all sheriff’s office calls for service countywide.
“The emergency services are the same because the deputies were allocated here. But if you need to do follow-up work with the sheriff’s office or with a detective or with some of the command staff, now it’s in your neighborhood. As before, we may have to ask you to drive 30 or 45 minutes,” said Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff.
Judd said while Polk County is experiencing a historically low crime rate, expanding the force is needed because of the county’s explosive growth.
“County commissioners have allocated over 130 deputies, and a portion of them certainly will be assigned here,” said Judd.
The County and Sheriff’s Office are working together to keep crime low and quality of life high.
“I think that’s great. A great step in the right direction with taking steps that are needed,” said Perez.
The new Ridge District Office will also have a community room available for unrestricted use for meetings, gatherings, and events.