Springfield mayor worries budget showdown may impact police department

"We're very concerned about it.. We've communicated with our legislators. We hope that public safety prevails through all of this."

April 06, 2011|by KY3 News | newsalerts@ky3.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Republicans and Democrats each say the other side would be to blame if there's no agreement on a federal budget plan, and the government has to shut down this weekend. While the politicians fight it out in Washington, D.C., Springfield Mayor Jim O'Neal says he's worried that budget cuts could wind up impacting the police department and public safety.

Here's the text of the conversation on Wednesday morning during an interview with KY3's Paul Adler:

Mayor Jim O'Neal, "we do have concerns in the sense that we were awarded a three year grant in which we hired about 15 police officers and we take the money for the 3 years those officers are funded. At the end of the 3 years, usually through retirement and attrition, we're able to take them on at no extra expense. We're concerned that the last two years of that funding could be in jeopardy if the budget is cut. We've expressed that concern to our legislators.

Paul Adler responds, "what happens to the police officers... Do they get fired if the federal budget is cut?

Mayor O'Neal says, "we'd have to make a very tough decision as to whether we'd continue with them in the academy or terminate that academy and wait for further information."

Paul Adler says, "Some real local impact on that one..."

Mayor O'Neal says, "we're very concerned about it.. We've communicated with our legislators. We hope that public safety prevails through all of this."

Meantime, it's being widely reported that state and local government leaders across the country are also worried about the ripple effect of a federal shutdown.

A shutdown of the federal government could cut off federal funds that help pay state costs for unemployment, transportation projects, local law enforcement training, food stamps, higher eduction, parks and research.

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