AUSTINTOWN Police fear budget cuts imperil officers, residents

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Police say they're worried that staff changes stemming from budget cuts have put officers and township residents in harm's way.
"It is troubling to know that even a common call such as a bar fight can have our officers quickly outnumbered," Patrolman Keith Smith wrote in a letter to the township trustees. "To place our citizens and officers at such risk is a major concern."
Township officials were expected to receive the letter this morning.
Smith is the president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 126, the union that represents Austintown officers.
In an effort to save money, trustees said in March that officers should no longer work overtime to ensure that five officers are on patrol each shift.
That means if an officer is sick and can't come to work, police might have only four patrol officers per shift in a township with about 38,000 residents.
Smith and Chief Gordon Ellis said that's happened only a few times since March. Ellis said that when an officer has called in sick, he, Lt. Mark Durkin or Sgt. Jeff Solic have typically filled in.
Durkin and Solic then take time off later in the week. Ellis doesn't earn overtime.
Smith noted in his letter that according to the police contract with the township, "Officers are responsible for immediately reporting any unsafe conditions or practices."
Ellis said township police were paid for 2,280 hours of overtime last year. Neither he nor township administrator Michael Dockry knew how much money was paid.
The police department has a $3.7 million budget this year, $3.3 million of that in salaries and benefits. The township expects to collect $2.89 million from its police levies. The remaining $804,000 would come from the general fund.
Cost increases
Township officials have said they're facing increases in the cost of insurance, workers' compensation and wages, and decreases in revenue.
Trustee David Ditzler said trustees have no choice but to cut the budget until the township can collect additional revenue. A fire and police levy is expected to appear on the ballot in March.
The township is negotiating a new contract with police. Ditzler said one of the sticking points has been a request by police to set a minimum number of officers per shift.
Trustees can't set that number because they aren't sure how many employees they may have to lay off to save money in the future, Ditzler said.
hill@vindy.com