Local police may lose
state, city funds
 |
| The Lexington City Police Department. (BRETT HOLTON/Rockbridge Report) |
Budget cuts sweeping the state are putting the Lexington Police Department, one of Virginia’s smallest accredited police forces, in a precarious position, the department’s chief says.
“If you start cutting back,” Chief of Police Steve Crowder said of the state’s economic crunch, “we’re going to have to start cutting back.”
In recent years, the department’s budget has typically run about $1.7 million.
Crowder says that this year his department can expect to face initial cuts of at least $25,000 by the city plus any additional money City Council might trim to balance the city budget.
He also expects the department to lose as much as $40,000 in state-issued 599 funds -- money given to localities that meet requirements set by the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Such cuts would affect the department’s overtime budget, which covers officers’ pay for things like security collaboration with Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute and special events like parades and traffic control. Crowder says the department typically does not charge for those services, but it might be forced to do so if its budget is cut deeply.
Crowder’s biggest fear, however, is that budget cuts could result in officers being not laid off, but reassigned.
“A 16-man police department has virtually nowhere to cut,” he said. “As far as going out and investigating drug activity … we just wouldn’t have the personnel to do it.”
Lexington’s Police Department has 16 active officers to cover the city’s 2.5 square miles. That number already includes a special-enforcement officer who focuses solely on investigations around the community, including drug-related activity.
“During economic hard times, the last place you want to cut is public services,” Crowder said. “Keeping crime out of our community, and making sure we remain a crime-free community, is incumbent upon the police force. We need all the resources we can get to do it.”
But despite worries about budget cuts and the prospect of losing specialty positions, Crowder remains optimistic. He says the relationship between his department and City Council historically has been good.
“You know, we have good equipment, a good facility, good vehicles,” Crowder said. “We are in pretty good shape. We [just] don’t want to start treading backwards.”
City Manager Jon Ellestad could not be reached for comment.
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd