'Burnt Out' Police Concerned with Budget Cuts

When the  on Monday, a group of 15 waited patiently to be heard.

Some were in uniform, others were not, but all were members of the . When they spoke, it was to express their opposition to cuts in the public safety budget.

"We're worn out, burnt out and stressed out,"  said Officer Rich Williamson referring to . Williamson spoke on behalf of the group of officers, which included two sergeants. "This is killing officer morale."

In 2002, Highland Park had 60 police officers; in 2011, the city will have 55.

Shafer, city council members and City Manager Dave Limardi were surprised by the presentation. At an , Shafer told the council that the cuts would not affect the high quality of public services Highland Park residents are used to. Williamson said that Shafer's statement was "incorrect."

"Recently on some shifts we have gone down to four beats, meaning there are only four officers in the entire city working the street, responding to calls and protecting the residents of Highland Park," Williamson said. "The citizens of Highland Park can't afford to lose anymore officers."

After Monday's presentation, Limardi explained that while there will be a decrease in sworn officers, there will be an increase in non-sworn personnel.

"In 2000, we had 60 sworn and 18 non-sworn personnel in the police department," said Limardi, "What we're recommending in 2011 is 55 sworn and 21 non-sworn."

Non-sworn personnel are those have not received police academy training. Limardi said the city increased non-sworn personnel because some positions originally manned by sworn officers became available to citizens.

During his presentation, Williamson passed around photos of Sur 13 gang members brandishing guns from a garage he said was located on Central Avenue in Highland Park.

"Our job is not getting easier and, yes, those are real guns," Williamson said as the photographs circulated around the city council's table.

After the presentation, members of the council discussed possibilities for addressing the officers' concerns.

"Police officers and public safety are our most bottom line issue," said Mayor Michael Belsky.

"This is what happens when you don't use the fund balance you have and you're at 40 percent," Belsky added, referring to the among council members to utilize surplus funds to pay for basic services.

and Councilwoman suggested moving revenue from a two-year-old tax on ticket sales into public safety.

"Police and fire are the most basic things we do," added Councilman Jim Kirsch. "Having high morale is critical to your performance, we understand that."

Currently, there are six vacancies that exist within the police department. Three will be filled by new officers, who start training Jan. 1, according to Shafer. The other three positions were cut from the budget.

"The problem is I have two people that are injured and then people have to take time off, so it's additional vacancies, additional people that are missing that can't go into the rotation," said Shafer.

"We've had a tough time the past three years with vacancies in the department, but this one in particular has been an extremely tough year."

Shafer and Williamson agree the gang issue is real in Highland Park. "We have sporadic contact with gang members," he added. "There's a sort of consistency, we have contact with some dangerous people, that's just part of our job."

Two members of the Highland Park Police Department are part of the Lake County Gang Task Force, creating a collaborative effort throughout the area according to Williamson. "Gangs are a form of domestic terrorism," he said. "We need to nip this in the bud."

A majority of the city council assured the officers their concerns would be on the agenda for the next council meeting.

"We're always able to amend the budget," said Belsky. "We want police on the street."