DES MOINES—
Facing an $11 million budget deficit, Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark is proposing hiring freezes in the police and fire departments. That would freeze out three sworn positions in the fire department and six in the police department.Police officials say the move would likely lead to cuts in the community policing division. Police Spokeswoman Sgt. Lori Lavorato says that would have an impact on crime fighting. "Our neighborhood officers, they know who lives in the neighborhoods," Lavorato says, "They know who the trouble makers are in the neighborhood."
At Monday night's River Bend Neighborhood Association meeting, residents were furious that they may lose their community officers. "There's nothing better," says Roger Thompson, who believes community policing has made the neighborhood safer, "Ten years ago you wouldn't have even recognized it against today. It was a nasty mean place to be."
City Manager Rick Clark says the freezes are necessary to bridge an $11.3 million shortfall. Last week, a Channel 13 investigation revealed the mayor and city council was over budget for travel; and the city belongs to several organizations with dues of over $50,000. We asked Clark is he thought it was appropriate to cut public safety positions with this kind of spending. "I understand questions and comments have been raised about that one particular area," Clark says, "That's up to the mayor and city council to sort through that...I'm not gonna comment on what the mayor and council ought to do with their own budget."
Clark's plan also calls for cutting a mechanical inspector, an assistant city manager, a clerical position in the fire department and a firefighter position. The total savings, Clark says, would be about $1.9 million.
