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FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Traffic is a big issue for drivers in Franklin County. Sheriff A.J. Smith said it’s been a problem since he was elected in 2016.
“For the 4th of July, almost 20,000 cars went to the island, that’s a lot of cars,” Smith said. “On 98 for a week, 40 or 50,000 cars traveling.”
He needs more help to handle the issue.
“Give me somebody here because I have a limited number of deputies and I’ve had to take two deputies and assign them full-time,” Smith said.
Specifically, he wants to see more Florida Highway State Troopers.
“Be seen here because people will slow down when they see a deputy or a trooper and that’s just another vehicle to help enforce the number one complaint I’m getting,” Smith said. “All I’m asking for is to have one here that can work wrecks, work traffic, and provide the service that they’re supposed to provide.”
Speeding and distracted driving are two situations that are seen frequently.
“I was traveling on the east side of the county a week ago, past me on a double yellow line on a curve between Carrabelle and Arc, that’s unacceptable,” Smith said. “I stopped him. He got a ticket.”
Smith also said troopers’ response time can be slow.
“So when I ran for sheriff in 2016, one of the complaints I got was that when somebody has an accident here, it took the Highway Patrol a long time to get here so they wanted me to work wrecks and I’m like, sure I’ll have deputies work wrecks, who wants to wait an hour and a half for a trooper,” Smith said.
Smith said he has contacted Highway Patrol leadership about his concerns and they’ve promised to provide more help. In the meantime, Smith is making the most of his resources.
He has one deputy assigned to traffic enforcement and all patrol cars are equipped with radar.
“We also have message boards we put out, we also have speed trailers that have radar online that flashes your speed with blue lights that we put in neighborhoods,” Smith said.
Sheriff Smith said the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office receives complaints about traffic on a daily basis.
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