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Is Stafford police budget being cut?
The police union in Stafford says its police department is in jeopardy of losing a million dollars in funding and the loss would put the city's safety in danger. FOX 26's Damali Keith has more on the update.
STAFFORD, Texas - The police union in Stafford says its police department is in jeopardy of losing a million dollars in funding, which they say would put the city’s safety in danger.
The Stafford Police Officers Association says its department is already so short-staffed the Stafford Police Chief himself had to make an arrest just last week. Now the union says the mayor’s proposed budget for next year is reducing the police force even further.
"We don’t want to put the public in danger by losing more officers," says President of the Stafford Police Officers Association Luciano Lopez.
The city’s safety is at risk according to Sergeant Lopez.
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"There’s no backup. We put officers at risk. The community expects a quick response. If somebody’s being injured or hurt, robbed or anything like that the community expects us to be able to help them, and at this rate we won’t be able to much longer," says Lopez.
Stafford Mayor Ken Mathew recently submitted a proposed budget for the next fiscal year. In it, Lopez says funding for the Stafford Police Department is cut by a million dollars, which Lopez says includes reducing the force by nine patrol officers, one detective, and three dispatchers, positions that are not currently filled.
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"Over $1 million that to me is considered de-funding the police department, especially of our size," says Lopez who spoke before the City Council on Tuesday asking members to vote against cuts to the police force.
"If we were fully staffed to our maximum capacity we’d have 67 sworn officers. Right now we’re around 48 officers," Lopez explains.
What are residents saying?
"I’m not happy about it if you’re asking me that. We don’t have that many police officers as it is. I mean I really don’t see any out here," says Stafford resident Brenda Martin.
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"It’s dangerous if they’re cutting stuff that they need, stuff that could be beneficial to the community but if they have unnecessary stuff that’s wasting taxpayer money. I’m trusting the mayor to make the right decision," says Stafford resident Hafiz KC.
"Our hope is council as a whole will override the mayor’s budget and fund us properly," Lopez adds.
Mayor Ken Mathew who just took office in June says most of the proposed budget submitted are not his numbers, and he says "I am not de-funding the police department…not cutting the police budget by a million dollars …and not reducing the workforce".
We’ll see what the final numbers are in just about a month. Stafford’s new budget begins Oct. 1.