Less state money means less police officers for the city of Newberry, but officials say citizen safety won’t suffer.

With significant state cuts on the horizon, the city is cutting spending by keeping three vacancies open until June 2010 unless money comes in from somewhere else to pay for the positions, or the vacancies are outweighed by public safety needs.

To reverse the decision, the city manager could ask City Council to remove all or part of the city’s hiring freeze.

CURRENT COVERAGE

Currently, there are four vacancies citywide—one in public works and three in the police department—of which the city will fill one police position because it has already advertised the opening, said City Manager Eric Budds.

The other two police positions will remain “frozen.”

Once the advertised position is filled, the city will have 28 police officers. Originally, it budgeted for 30 this year.

Because “personnel expenses represent 67 percent of the city’s general fund operating expenses,” states a city memo signed by Mayor Ed Kyzer, “it appears that action to limit these expenses will be necessary.”

But Newberry Police Chief Jackie Swindler says the police vacancies are not a significant change from normal operations.

“I generally have some type of opening,” said Swindler. “I’m sometimes six months or better [to fill] with an opening anyway.”

Swindler says the openings linger because the city is particular about hiring officers and takes time to select the best person for the job.

With less officers, Swindler says everyone will work more, and the department will continue to seek other funding.

MONEY SUPPPORT

Swindler says grants could help with police expenses in technology, transportation and perhaps personnel.

At the first of the month, the federal government told the city it can receive $25,687 “purely for (police) equipment.”

Nationwide, $2 billion in federal stimulus or recovery money will be given out to municipalities through the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grant Program which allocates its resources based on population and crime rate.

The less crime a city has, the less money it receives.

SAFE AND THANKFUL

Newberry regularly ranks high in the state for the amount of cases it has “cleared,” or resolved, Swindler says.

The city also has a low crime rate compared to other places its size, and won first for being the safest traffic community four years in a row.

“It’s a great selling point,” said Swindler. “We look to hire the best officers we can. We have a good force and they work hard. People in Newberry certainly should be proud.”

But with Newberry’s population of 10,580 and relatively low crime rate, it gets considerably less funding than other communities its size.

Conway, with a population under 12,000 and more crime, will receive $75,572 through the Edward Byrne Memorial program.

Nonetheless, Budds is glad for the equipment funding.

“We’re thankful for what we’re getting,” said Budds.

City staff will soon submit an application to claim the money and looks forward to additional funding for personnel.

In January, the proposed federal recovery bill planned $4 billion for state and local law enforcement, says a Committee on Appropriations memo.