OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County Tax Collectors will have additional security thanks to action taken at the April 13 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission.

Tax Collector Celeste Watford asked commissioners for help.

“I believe the time we live in today, it is time for me to ask for security,” said Watford. “My staff does a great job, The public in general is a great public. There are things the state requires us to do, and sometimes the public isn’t as cordial as they should be,

“In the last week we had to call the sheriff’s office several times because we needed protection,” she said.

Watford explained there are things the Tax Collector’s Office is required to do by law and some people get upset and turn their anger on the office staff. For example, sometimes customers are very frustrated about state or federal requirements for things like Real ID compliance.

Commission Chairman David Hazellief noted 500 to 750 people a day go through that office a day. He said some of those people are at the Tax Collector’s Office because they are already having a bad day. “I know there are people who are having one of the worst days in their life because they got a DUI,” he said.

Sheriff Noel Stephen said he will add another position to the court security staff in order to provide an officer at the tax office. County Administrator Deborah Manzo said they can do a budget transfer for the current fiscal year and add this position to the sheriff’s budget for the next fiscal year.