14 TPD officers called back

TOLEDO, Ohio - In an announcement nobody saw coming, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said Thursday morning that 14 laid off police officers are headed back to work.

The 14 officers have been unemployed since May 1 following a mass layoff of 75 officers and reorganization of the police force due to the city's budget deficit.

"I'm pleased, prior to the Thanksgiving and holiday season, these 14 officers all laid off will be working," the mayor said.

Finkbeiner said the city cannot afford to make anymore cuts to public safety.

The 14 officers will be reintegrated into the force immediately. Once paperwork is complete, some officers could be back on Toledo streets as soon as Friday.

"I want to thank the mayor," said Dan Wagner, Toledo Police Patrolman's Association union president. "It goes to show if he allows us to give input and he analyzes the input, he realized it was cost effective."

Besides the 14 officers being called back, Mayor Finkbeiner also announced the city budgeting for a police class in 2010. The class will consist of around 30 recruits, but pressure will lay on the next administration as to when the class will start and how it will be funded.

Mr. Finkbeiner said the city is budgeting the 2010 police class and the 14 officers into next year's budget. The mayor suggested that either Mike Bell or Keith Wilkowski will most likely have to raise taxes or increase fees in order to fund the officers and the police class.

A combination of 36 retirements this year and money left over from 11 city police officers' salaries who are on military leave was enough funding to bring back the laid off officers for the remainder of this year.

Also adding fuel to the fire on this decision were several residential complaints of groups of young people gathering in certain Glass City neighborhoods. Complaints centered around Rogers High School and the central city.

"These complaints will be addressed with these 14 new officers," Chief Navarre said. "We'll be better equipped to address those complaints."

The reintegration of the 14 officers into Toledo's police force will allow the police chief to add two new detectives to the investigation unit and two community service officers.

"We've weathered the difficult year and I'm proud of the men and women of the police department," Chief Navarre added. "They have done an admirable job under adverse circumstances."

Since the mass layoff notice on May 1, the city has been able to bring back all of the officers though state and federal stimulus funding, including a $7.14 million federally-funded Community Oriented Policing Services Grant.

(FOX Toledo's Michelle Zepeda contributed to this report)