Three officers remain laid off and Tulsa Public Schools is working with the city on finding them work.
TPS Police Chief, Gary Rudick says a $49,800 federal grant is available to hire private security officers.
However, TPS says it doesn’t include benefits, equipment or uniform and the city is trying to figure out if it can pay for the extra costs.
Rudick says the three officers would be placed at McLain, Memorial and Rogers High Schools.
Meantime, 18 of the 21 officers were rehired and got their badges back today.
The Department of Justice approved at $3.5 million to rehire 18 officers. The grant was originally to hire 18 new officers.
Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer says in the last week resources have been cut short however, by grounding the helicopters and eliminating Mounted Patrol at least seven officers were moved to patrol the streets.
Still that means no helicopters to help catch bad guys.
FOX23 spoke to Officer Anthony Finnegan who got his badge back today and says it’s a big relief to get back on the streets.
“This day means everything to me. The first day I came to the academy was just the greatest day. We worked so hard for this both classes and this just feels great it’s wonderful,” says Finnegan.
Officers working in the Gilcrease division were hit the hardest. Officer Finnegan says he’ll be back on the graveyard shift starting Thursday into Friday morning.
An e-mail sent to FOP members estimates in the FY 2008/2009 budget TPD had an overage of $500,000. The FOP President says that e-mail was not made public and that it is still working an exact number.
A spokesperson for Mayor Kathy Taylor and Chief Palmer say if the city was not in a budget crisis it would not have laid off officers.
Tulsa’s finance director states, “the City was ahead of projections through December 2008, but based on the continuing deterioration of the national economy, we knew those revenues would not continue and we began to make reductions in our expenditures,” says Mike Kier.
Kier continues to say the city has seen it’s worst sales tax decline, expecting a 6.2% decline for the current fiscal year.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford is working on this developing story and breaks down how long it will take to see a new officer on Tulsa streets.
