City Gets Justice Approval To Rehire Police

Mayor Kathy Taylor announced Monday the city has received approval to use a federal grant to rehire 18 of 21 officers who were laid off Oct. 27.

The layoffs were to be effective Nov. 4, but approval for reallocating the COPS grant by the Department of Justice will allow the officers to return to work. None of the 18 officers will miss a day of pay or benefits.  

The city, facing continued tax revenue shortfalls, recently announced another $6 million in cuts.

“This is obviously the outcome we had hoped for,” Mayor Taylor said in a prepared stateement. “I have received numerous calls to the Mayor’s Action Center in the last week regarding the layoffs, and many of them have asked me to find a way to avoid laying off our police officers.”

The city still will continue with plans to ground its two police helicopters and also dismantle its Mounted Patrol unit. Those officers will be reassigned.