The grant from the U.S. Department of Justice allows 67 Ohio police officers to resume or retain their jobs for at least three years. The money will cover full salary and benefits for the rehired officers, the department said.
Without the grant, which was announced Wednesday night, VanArsdale said the department’s four “bottom officers,” those with the least seniority, would have been laid off. In addition, at least two detectives — one general detective and one special operations — would have been transferred to street patrol, he said.
Middletown City Manager Judy Gilleland said the positions, if the city budget was approved by city council, would have been eliminated in January 2012.
After learning about the grant, Gilleland said she was “thankful and relieved” that the officers won’t lose their jobs at a time when unemployment is about 9 percent. She said the grant “couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Those potential layoffs would have resulted in “a great reduction in services,” the police chief said Thursday afternoon.
VanArsdale said there are 76 officers in his department, the lowest work force since he joined the department in 1981. At one time, he said, there were 93 officers in the department. The size of the department has decreased recently thanks in part to retirements, he said.
Geoff Getter, vice president of the police union, said retaining the officers will allow the department to remain “pro-active instead of reactive” and insure an appropriate respond time.
“It’s going to help substantially,” he said.
With the increase in crime in the city, Middletown resident Susan Cantrell said the city can use “all the police officers we can get.”
Middletown business Tim Buchanan, who owns Buck’s Sports Bar and Grill on Central Avenue, agreed. Buchanan said his bar is open 24 hours a day and he has had “no trouble.” Still, he’s thankful for the grant that will keep those officers patrolling the streets.
“It can’t hurt things,” he said.
Cincinnati and Cleveland received $6.8 million and $5.8 million, respectively to recall 25 police officers each.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.
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