LaBella: Cutting public safety not a good idea
Story Created:
Mar 4, 2009 at 4:09 PM EST
Story Updated:
Mar 4, 2009 at 5:54 PM EST
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Members of the Utica Common Counsel recently asked Utica Public Safety Commissioner, Dan LaBella, to consider not filling a vacant police chief position.
The other option LaBella says was given to him, was to fill a vacant deputy chief position that would become available if one of the two current deputy chiefs were to become police chief.
However, LaBella does not agree to the option of leaving vacant positions unfilled, saying there is always room in saving money in the public safety budget.
"There is, right now, just enough supervision for the amount of police officers that we have here in our city," says LaBella.
According to the city of Utica's budget director, Anthony Arcuri, the police and fire portions of the proposed 2009 and 2010 budget make up 53 % of the total budget.
LaBella says, by law, the police chief position has to be filled, due to Utica's population.
"I don't believe that two deputy chiefs in our police department are too many," he says. "I believe that one would definitely hurt the police department and public safety."
The other current vacant public safety position in the city is an assistant fire chief position. LaBella says that two of these positions will be filled, and a civil service test is currently underway to find the right candidate.
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