Louisville police and fire department recruit classes scheduled to start over the next two months to help with understaffing have been delayed, and city officials have declined to say when or if the classes will begin. The delays come despite earlier assurances by Mayor Jerry Abramson that metro Louisville's projected $9 million budget deficit would not affect public safety agencies.
Police Chief Robert White would not discuss the recruit situation, but The Courier-Journal acquired a copy of an e-mail sent to police applicants that said a 25-member training class will not begin later this month as scheduled. And Louisville Fire & Rescue Chief Greg Frederick confirmed that a fire class in March or April to fill about 30 vacancies has been put on hold.
Council members and the police and fire unions expressed disappointment and frustration at the delays.
"It's very important that we continue to have recruit classes," said John McGuire, president of the police union.
Chad Carlton, a spokesman for Abramson, said the mayor's commitment to public safety hasn't waned, and that the police department budget cut will be smaller than the cuts other departments face, though he provided no specifics.
"Despite these reductions, we will not be taking a significant step backward here," Carlton said. "We're trying to minimize the impact on public safety and still cut $9 million. That's a difficult task, and that's why it's taking so long."
Police recruits earn a salary of $31,907.
Carlton said the new plan is to end the fiscal year with no more than 63 vacancies -- the number of unfilled positions in the police department at the end of last fiscal year. The mayor is scheduled to have a news conference early next week to announce his plan to balance the budget.
In his budget address last May, Abramson said he would hire 100 police officers. But since then, revenue projections from a tax on business profits have been reduced.
White said yesterday that he offered several budget-cutting options to Abramson, but would not discuss specifics.
McGuire said a delay in starting a new recruit class is terrible news because it takes months to get recruits ready for the street.
"We can't afford to delay recruit classes," McGuire said.
Firefighters are in a similar situation, said Craig Willman, president of that union.
Willman added that the delay creates a risk that good candidates will find other jobs -- and it makes some worry about what other cuts might be looming.
"It's a telltale sign of what's to come down the line," Willman said. "We're going to be watching it real close."
Carlton said the mayor's staff is working to "make sure we have the right level of police officers, firefighters, animal control officers" as well as staff in all other areas of public safety.
But ending this fiscal year with the same number of officers as last year won't be seen as progress by some members of the Louisville Metro Council.
Council member Rick Blackwell, the 12th District representative who leads the Democratic caucus, said it would be "disappointing" to end the fiscal year with the same police vacancies.
"I think most council members would hope to find another way" to deal with the revenue shortfall, he said.
Kevin Kramer said he's received more calls -- at home and at his council office -- about crime in the past two months than he did all of last year.
"If we have 63 vacancies, that's 63 too many," said Kramer, who represents the 11th District and is leader of the Republican caucus. "We've been pushing to get the force up to appropriate levels. That should be our priority -- putting police officers on the street."
Council President Jim King, D-10th, would not comment on the delayed recruit classes.
Members of the council's Budget Committee submitted a request for revenue and expense information to Finance Director Jane Driscoll 10 days ago.
They say no information has been provided to them, but Driscoll is to answer questions at a Budget Committee hearing Wednesday.
Kelly Downard, R-16th District and Budget Committee vice chairman, said it's important for the council to be a part of whatever solution there is to the budget crisis. And he said canceling police and fire classes is not the way to go.
"Rather than that, we ought to cut back on a couple capital projects," he said.
The police department currently has 46 vacancies, which doesn't account for people who will retire this spring and summer. It also doesn't accurately reflect the number of officers on the street because 39 of them are currently in training and eight officers are on military leave.
"What's important is the amount (of officers) on the street," McGuire said.