Columbus Police To Announce Possible Cuts
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Possible Police, Fire Cuts
NBC 4 talks to neighborhood leaders about the effects of cutting safety forces.
Police officials will release details Tuesday about what cuts could be made if the income tax increase does not pass in August.
COLUMBUS, Ohio —For weeks, officials have been talking about potential cuts to the Columbus Division of Police.
Tuesday, the division will outline detail on what could be lost if the income tax increase does not pass in August.
The city cut $13 million already in 2009 and now it looks like it will have to slash an additional $16 million.
The city is asking for a .5 percent income tax increase on the August ballot in hopes of bringing in $100 million in revenue.
If the increase fails, Mayor Michael Coleman has said that police and fire jobs are on the line.
Community leaders said they can’t afford to lose any more safety programs.
George Walker Jr., a commissioner in the south Linden area said crime has decreased in the community in the past few years thanks to the Columbus police presence. He said he fears drastic cuts could have negative, dramatic effects on the neighborhood.
Justin Boggs, a Greater Hilltop Area Commissioner, said he would hate to see the helicopter unit and Strategic Response Bureau reduced.
Community leaders said they are hoping for the best, but said they will strengthen their blockwatch and other programs to help fight crime if there are drastic reductions to the division of police.
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Reader Reactions
Not to show my age but it seems to me that the last time the City of Cols, raised their income tax the percentage of the raise was to be used exclusively for police & fire. What happened to those funds? Where they just added to the general fund over the years. Is that percentage of the tax still being used for police or fire only? City Council & Mayor Coleman need to answer those questions first before requesting additional funds.
There are a lot of things that could be cut besides police and fire, but then the crooked mayor could not hold the city hostage. He has wasted so much money (much of it for his own personal gain) and now he threatens the safety of the citizens of Columbus. This idiot need to go. Move on - you and your crooked family. I really liked the previous post about how the police and fire were there when Coleman needed them, unlucky for the city. Too bad they were not cut then!
It is always the same, “give us more money or we will cut safety services!“
This is a form of blackmail and should not be tolerated! Lets start cutting things like health care to city employees. Make it like what the rest of us get at non-government jobs. I bet that alone would cut MILLIONS from the budget.
Why don’t we eliminate all the autos bought for city officials. Make them buy their own vehicles like the rest of us!
I propose a state constitutional amendment. Safety services would be protected from any cuts during a decline in tax revenue. Cuts would be forced to come from other places.
Cut the 311 call center; its a worthless service! My property taxes were just increased to over $50 per month. There are other tax increases coming from Obama. How in the world do you expect to live with taxes always increasing, at least for those of us that pay them. This increase is BS and Mayor Coleman needs fired!
Make it a police and fire levy and I will vote for it. Give more money to the dim bulb Mayor? No.
Again the Mayor threatens with the Police and Fire cuts all the while cheerleading his monorail. What would have happened if there had been no police around when his wife was driving drunk? She could have been seriously injured had they not stopped her. And when his house caught on FIRE…BOTH times…what if there were no available engines due to fire department cutbacks? i bet heads would roll.
Homeland Security paid for the trip in to the Academy. I think the figure that comes to mind is five million. The city didn’t pay for it.
Well i guess if the idiot who is running this city has his way we wo,nt have a police or fire department to complain about. Then when the city is burning down around us and our homes are being broken into left and right and people are being killed then we will want our POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT BACK. MAYBE THEN EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY EXCEPT FOR THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO BE SAFE IN OUR OWN HOMES. Then we will be screaming for our mayor,s neck and start looking FOR A NEW MAYOR.
Im sure there are plenty of jobs to eliminate other than police and Fireman .but then that wouldnt have the scare tactic ability now would it.We need the police because the city started heading towards the likes of detroit once Coleman took over. we need the fireman because we have arsons running loose all over this town.We would have plenty of tax revenue if we weren’t giving tax abatements to developers to build low grade condos downtown. Oh well the kickbacks are sweet.
The city spent money to plant trees along curbs all over Columbus. that’s money that could been spent on police and fire personnel. to late now. cut trash collection to every other week.
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