Lexington Herald-Leader
When he ran for mayor in 2006, Jim Newberry committed to hiring 150 police officers by 2010.
In January, after he'd been in office a year, Newberry revised that to say he would hire 50 police officers each year for two years in order to keep crime down.
So far, in the face of tight budgets, the city has budgeted for 25 new officers since Newberry took office almost two years ago. Last month, Newberry raised the prospect of laying off 100 police officers — and shutting down five fire stations — to help fund police and fire pensions.
The mayor's comments have left some police officers who supported his election bid feeling stung. Many of them are raising questions about how the department would cope with such a reduction in force.
Mike Sweeney, president of the Bluegrass Lodge No. 4 of the Fraternal Order of Police, recently chastised Newberry for saying the city might have to lay off police and firefighters.
