The Fraternal Order of Police, Steve Young Memorial Lodge #24, in Marion has released a letter saying they have offered the City of Marion concessions worth over $220,000 in order to stop any proposed layoffs of officers within the Marion Police Department.
The City has made major cuts to this year’s budget so far, but following the most recent cuts, there was an opinion expressed that more cuts would need to be made.
The following is the release issued by the FOP as a public plea and information. It has not been edited by Marion Online and is posted in its entirety.
The officers of the Marion Police Department are advising the public that layoffs at the Marion Police Department will compromise officer safety and community protection. There is absolutely no way that laying off police officers in this community can be absorbed without seriously affecting public safety.
With that in mind, on Monday, April 11, 2011 the members of the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council at the Marion Police Department proposed over $220,000 worth of concessions to the City of Marion. These concessions will impact individual officers financially in amounts ranging from $4000 to $7500 per member.
No Marion Police Officer relishes the opportunity to make such a large financial sacrifice but we know that it is needed at this time. The patrol officers and the supervisors of the police department realize that the City of Marion is in fiscal difficulty and that is why we have offered to make such a drastic cut to our own individual finances. Just as in the recent past, the officers of the Marion Police Department have responded to the City when called upon to make a financial sacrifice.
The Marion Police Department is operating below our authorized strength of sworn officers by 15% already. We also have 3 officers currently activated by the US Military and have 2 officers who are recovering from injuries suffered in the line of duty that prevent them from regular patrol duties. That leaves 55 officers to protect this City when we are supposed to have 69.
The Citizens of Marion cannot afford to layoff police officers in this time of rising property crime, this time of heroin use exploding in our community, in this time of well documented violence in our community.
The average US city has 1.8 police officers per 1000 citizens. Marion has 1.67 now, we cannot afford to go any lower.
The officers of the Marion Police Department have made financial sacrifices in a very significant way and we are asking the City of Marion do their part to avoid layoffs of police officers.
Please call Mayor Schertzer and tell him no layoffs of police officers.
