Sumter County Sheriff Pat Breeden and Bushnell city officials are expected to meet Wednesday to discuss the future of their law enforcement services contract, which Sheriff Breeden says has become financially unsustainable.

The city of Bushnell has contracted with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for policing services since disbanding its own department in 2012. While the original agreement included eight deputies, the city has since reduced that number to four. Sheriff Breeden says this downsizing, coupled with rising calls for service and a growing population, has made it difficult to maintain proper coverage.

“Right now, we have two deputies working 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week,” Sheriff Breeden says. “After 10 p.m. until 10 a.m., the county has to pull deputies from other zones to cover Bushnell.”

Breeden sent a letter to city officials notifying them that the current contract would end March 1, 2026, unless new funding terms are reached.

“The city doesn’t want to pay,” he says. “They only want a couple deputies, but that’s not a level of protection I’m comfortable with.”

According to Sheriff Breeden, the Sheriff’s Office has offered a new “bare bones” contract proposal that would include four deputies and one detective to provide around-the-clock coverage. “We are actually paying for the lieutenant to help them get another deputy sheriff,” he says.

Despite financial concerns, Sheriff Breeden emphasized that residents will not be left without protection.

“I would never let the citizens suffer,” he says. “Either way, the city is still going to have coverage—it’s a matter of who’s paying for it. The county would have to pick up the tab.”

Breeden said that continued cuts from the city have made it increasingly difficult to maintain service.

“They’ve defunded us every year,” he says. “Now we are down to bare bones. It’s hard to provide the coverage that citizens deserve. But we aren’t done with negotiations. There will always be law enforcement—we’re just trying to come to a business agreement.”

The outcome of Wednesday’s meeting may determine whether the city of Bushnell continues contracting with the sheriff’s office or finds alternative means to provide law enforcement beyond March 2026.

Photos shared from Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Facebook