Police, fire recruits are on hold. Budget squeeze delays training.

Abramson is planning on cutting the Police Budget by 4 million dollars in the next fiscal year to re-coup almost half of the 9 million he anticipates being short do to his outlandish spending prcatices. The Metro Council are already upset over his delaying Police and Fire recruit classes.

Here is what it will mean to the average citizen:

In 2007 crime rose dramatically in Louisville. We had a record year for murders, assaults against persons, street robberies and burglaries. There are less police officers on the street now than before merger and the crime statistics support the fact that we need more Officer on the street.

You stand a better chance of being murdered in Louisville than you do in New York City!

You or someone you know will be the victim of a crime in the near future because there are not enough officers to patrol our streets.

25% if the department is currently eligible to retire and he has made no effort to settle the contracts. In fact he wants to cut pay and bennefits and is lobbying Frankfort to make it even harder for us to hire new people. He is chasing seasoned veterans off by not providing even cost of living increases. He is trying to take away bennefits and is making it an increasingly hostile work environment. Why should I stay if I have my time on and I can leave? This leaves the safety of the community in jeapordy.

By delaying the classes he puts off potential hires into going someplace else. He tells the press that we are only 63 Officers short. (That is because he is counting people in recruit school - 39) We have argued for years that these folks don't count until they are sworn and on the street on their own. Recruit school lasts 32 weeks and they ride with a training officer for an additional 20 weeks. Add that up and it is 1 year from the day they first set foot in the door until they are trained police officers able to ride a beat by themselves. If only 10% of the 1100 Officers leave this summer then do the math... we cannot replace them with all of the people in school, in the process to be hired as a lateral and the potential class scheduled for June.

Abramson saves $288,000.00 per month in "credit vacancies", that is money that the metro council has in the budget to pay Police Officers that should be on the street. What is he doing with all that money???????

The council had it correct when they said capital projects should be cut, not public safety. To put it in easier terms, if your household budget is tight you don't spend money on a new 52" flat screen tv. You wait until your finances are better. What you don't skimp on is the basic neccesities. You don't stop buying groceries, you watch what you spend but if your car needs brakes or new tires then the safety of your family comes first.

Abramson is always more concerned about glitzy, high-profile projects like 4th Street Live, the arena, etc, etc than he is with public safety, quality of life, vandalism... He and Chief White talk about "community policing" while the department is understaffed and officers run from call to call. When do they have time to become familiar with a neighborhood's residents or their concerns?

Base pay for an 8-10 year LMPD Officer is what $44,000

I overheard a detective in my division ask a former f.o.p. leader who is on the contract negotiations if this coming contract is going to have anything in it to make him want to stay, he can retire this coming summer. He was told no. No reason for a guy with 20 years on to stay, no effort by the dept to keep him around. Sure they are replaceable but there goes a lot of experience out the door.

Ok guys, here's the deal,let's look at the last 5 years real quick, since the boss is going to be looking at more officer accountability in regards to the rising homicide rates. Has the population of Louisville gotten significantly larger ? A) NO... has the number of officers drastically decreased? A) somewhat....has the demographics of the different beats and divisions changed drastically? A) NO....has the number of policies tying our hands with what we do increased A) YES...has the eradication and drastic reduction of critical units increased..A) YES....has micromanagement hit an all time high.A) YES....has the basic police officer changed in the last 5 years..A) NO.....has the homicide rate and violent crime gone through the roof ..A) YESSSSSSS..... and when did all this start??? and what is basically the only thing different between now and then?? that's right sports fans..... THIS MAYOR AND THIS ADMINISTRATION......NOW LETS TALK ABOUNT ACCOUNTABILITY>>>>>>>>>>arrrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh....CAPT>AHAB

Something else I noticed is that it just says louisvile it never mentions Kentucky. His arrogant attitude turns off everyone else n the state.

We need more parks, granite curbs, and downtown projects!!

Remembering what a foolish mistake he made when he robbed one bad azz cop....... We love ya MAC !!!!!!!

It is only going to get worse!! Why hire new cops when CompStat shows we're handling it? As long as officer keep getting on the radio and saying 'I'll advise' or 'Cancle the other car', or tell radio to stack runs on them, or volunteer to go alone on a run they're holding because it's a 2 car run and only one is clear...Notiing will ever change!!

Doug Hamilton and Jerry can use the CompStat info to show that, yes, while crime is up, run volume is up, etc...the officers are taking care of the runs!!

We are shooting ourselves in the foot, people!! STOP IT!!!

'THEY' don't give a DAMN about us- why are we trying so hard to take care of these runs? LET THEM HOLD THE RUNS!!! This KILLS them at CompStat!!

We have to start playing the game or we are going to continue to lose!!!

Since we have to pay for our cars now (in addition to being a tax payer) I guess we need to start putting in for overtime on every off duty action (stranded motorist, traffic stop etc). After all, we are required to enforce the law 24/7....

Sorry this is off the subject. At the upcoming awards banquet, any officer who receives an award should refuse to have his or her picture taken with Jerry. Tell him face to face when the time comes, "Sorry Mayor, I refuse to have my picture taken with you because of your lack of support for Police Officers and our families." or something like that. Then just walk away. You are not required to. This may send a message to him since he loves having his big head pictures posted up as much as possible. This was not my idea, someone else mentioned it on here a while back and it sounded good. Spread the word.

Why should we pay for the cities cars to work off duty? Does the public understand that the off duty establishments pay us for services. This saves the city overtime. This is surely a labor issue. I don't know how they are going to make us pay the amount. I don't know about you guys, but I am not going to pay. Some months I work everyday for off duty and some months I don't work a day. AND I should pay $60/month anyways. Plus I live out of county like many others. The only time I drive the cruiser is for on duty work and off duty work. If I am going to pay for the vehicle then let me drive it home...I don't think the company man who suggested this dictator ruling thought of all this. Go ahead Jerry, charge us for everything, this city is pitiful.

At times I can't believe what some officers will say. You are going to bitc* and complain about paying $60.00 for the use of your car in order to work off duty for the month. You make $25.00 per hour or more just sitting inside somewhere or inside your car with it running. Remember, the car is not a contractual issue, they can take it away any time they want. Too many officers think they are entitled to it and they don't even have a personal vehicle as they use the car all the time. If you keep on complaining about it they could put the restrictions like the State Police have in that you can only use it to and from work or court, no shopping or any other runs. I have enjoyed my car and have found it to be a problem at times (everyone knows you are the Police). As for starting to put in for all the overtime you can because you stop for a stranded or something else, go ahead, make your 15 min of OT. It use to be that stopping was expected as it was a trade off for the take home car. And yes I am an LMPD officer of 15 years. I have seen administrations come and go and the only thing that stays constant is that some try and win every battle and forget about the war.

Do you need your Police Car when you work any game UofL or otherwise??? I seem to remember a line on the off duty form for asking for use of the car for offduty use, I am going to go back and check NO for the use of the car, because I am not using it while I am working right? Then I will drive it to the game just like every other officer that is going to the game to watch, that is not being charged to use the car. I am sure that out of the 480 officers working off duty they are in the same boat. If I don't ask for permission to use the car, they can't charge me.

Get it right, not all off duty is done sitting in your car dumba%s!! Some guys sit in the car some do not. I don't think we should pay if you only work once/month, seasonal (UL Games) or only once in awhile gigs. Some work nearly everyday. Not a comparable guideline is it? What are they going to do, check who has off duty forms on file and start deducting? Not a fair labor practice.... Does it start now, new fiscal year or back dated? Oh yea just like our contracts should be back paid. Screw off duty then. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the council years ago that this would be good for the city to save them OVERTIME!!!!!!! Lets fight this crap. What's next............................

Remember, this is a public forum - do you want that sort of statement on the front page of the CJ? That's the way you lose the privilege of take home cars entirely. And yes, it IS a privilege.

No, of course you don't want to live in a crime-ridden area, do you think all the people who live there DO want to do so?

THE POSITIONS THAT THE MAYOR IS TALKING ABOUT IS ONLY THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT WHERE FILLED BEFORE THE MERGER AND BEFORE MASS RETIREMENTS. IT IS NOT THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL OFFICERS THAT ARE TRULY NEEDED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND ON PATROL IN YOUR COMMUNITY. THIS DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY THE MOST UNDERSTAFFED OF ANY OTHER CITY IN COMPARATIVE SIZE, WITH THE OFFICERS OF THOSE CITIES MAKING ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE MAKING.

WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON HERE? AND WHO IS THE MAYOR REALLY FOR, HIS COMMUNITY OR HIMSELF?

OK, explain something to me - how do they intend to get TWO classes in before the end of the fiscal year? Even if they started a class right now, that would take them to close to the end of the fiscal year, right? Are they planning to run two at the same time? AND do in-service? AND do the lateral class that has been proposed for right after Derby? I don't see how it is possible.

And, I gotta ask, what are the instructors who were supposed to teach this basic class doing? Do they go back on the street while waiting for a class? And if not, what do they do all day?

Does this hold mean that there will now be openings in the classes and application can be made? (ie can new applicants get into the classes now?)

IS THE JUNE 2009 ACADEMY STILL HAPPENING? Just got through the entire process in April, wondering if anyone has any word.... I would appreciate it thanks!!!