Tulsa Police Chief: Proposed Cuts Would Gut Police Department

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- It was standing room only at a meeting of the Tulsa City Council Tuesday morning at city hall.

14/2010 Related story: Tulsa City Council Discussing Budget Cuts Tuesday, Talking Public Comment Thursday

The council met to discuss cuts to the city of Tulsa's budget and the council room was packed with a number of off duty Tulsa Police officers. 

Police Chief Ron Palmer says the possible $3.4 million in cuts to the police department would gut the department, setting it back to 1980 staffing levels with 2010 crime rates.  

During Tuesday's meeting, the city council talked about restructuring and cuts in various city departments including police and fire. 

City councilors asked the police and fire chiefs about restructuring their departments to save money.  Chief Ron Palmer was first asked about the number of assistant chiefs and the captains that supervise each shift. 

Chief Palmer says even if TPD's command staff was cut 25 percent, it would still require 111 officers be laid off to make the budget goal. 

He says wholesale demotions would also hurt gains made recently in minority hires, including 56 officers in minority, protected classes.

The mayor has asked both departments to thin out the ranks at the middle and top to save jobs at the lower ranks. 

City Councilor Jack Henderson told the meeting its time to consider a public safety tax, for police and fire.  Henderson says city employees have worked too hard to go through layoffs.  Says he would support and extra penny sales tax dedicated to the police and fire departments.

Another councilor, Jim Mautino told Palmer he believes management reductions could save many jobs at lower ranks of the police department. 

Tulsa Fire Chief Allen LaCroix also faced questions from the city council.  LaCroix says firefighter layoffs will eventually increase homeowner insurance rates because of increased fire losses. 

He told councilors, to make the $1.2 million goal for this year, the Tulsa Fire Department would need to save $420,000 through demotions and still lay off 40 firefighters.

On Thursday evening, the city council will allow public comment on those proposed cuts. 

Next Thursday, January 14, the city council is scheduled to vote with the restructuring and layoffs to take effect the next day on January 15.