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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Salt Lake City police may have to continue running a smaller force because of budget constraints.
Chief Chris Burbank says the department is considering options before the next round of hirings scheduled for July.
The department was not able to hire a new class of recruits in January because of budget reductions. Burbank says that could happen again this summer, leaving the city with as many as 30 fewer officers.
Burbank says the issue is simply a lack of money right now -- there isn't enough.
"It's not a matter of anyone saying, 'That's a bad idea.' It's just a budget question now. Is there enough money?" Burbank said.
"I don't know if I'd say I'm confident (that the new applicants will be hired in July). I feel like I have good support."
The Salt Lake City Police Department sorts through applications of potential new officers twice a year. The new hires are sent to the police academy for training before becoming full-time members of the department.
Burbank says there are currently 16 officer vacancies because of January's hiring delay. He says that's about six more than the usual number of open spots.
"My priority is to maintain the number of officers out on the street responding to calls," Burbank said. "When somebody calls police it's really important to me to respond in a timely fashion."
If the department is forced to wait until January to hire, the new recruits will still take 18 months to two years before they are ready for full-time duty.
Burbank said the department is authorized to have 433 sworn officers and 161 civilians. The civilian jobs, including dispatch, records and crime lab, are already at a minimum, Burbank said.
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Information from: Deseret News
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
