Police Announce Potential Sacrifices

NBC 4: Columbus’ police chief unveiled the division’s 2010 budget with potential safety cuts Tuesday. Police Chief Walter Distelzweig announced the possible cuts at a Tuesday morning news conference.

Distelzweig said the division will cut or layoff 297 sworn officers if voters weren’t to approve the city’s half-percent income-tax increase in August. The income-tax increase will be on the special Tuesday, Aug. 4, ballot.

CPD would need to reduce the number of sworn officers from 1,889 to 1,568 by Jan. 1, 2010. The division said it anticipates 27 additional retirements in 2009. In 2010, the division said it anticipates 45 more retirements, leaving a net of 1,523 sworn members by Dec. 31, 2010. No civilian workers would be impacted—only officers.

Under the proposed budget-cutting scenario, the 1,568 officers would give Columbus the fewest number of sworn officers since 1993. Layoffs would affect mostly patrol officers and would be based on seniority. Most of the layoffs would happen in the patrol division, using a “last in, first out” approach.

The high-school resource program would be eliminated, and other subdivisions would see significant job cuts, including vice, narcotics, burglary, economic crime unit, special-victims bureau, traffic and community liaisons. If the income-tax increase does pass, Distelzweig said cuts would not be necessary.

The CPD proposed budget cuts would total almost $26 million. The city already has slashed $13 million this year and may have to cut another $16 million. The half-percent increase could bring the city $100 million. Community leaders have said they cannot afford to lose any more safety programs. Police will decrease security for Red, White and Boom! this summer due to budget woes.