Finkbeiner recalls last of laid-off police officers

10/22/2009

Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner announced at a news conference Thursday morning that he is bringing back the last 14 officers who have been laid off since May 1.

Toledo laid off 75 police officers May 1 in an effort to close a $12.5 million budget deficit. The city temporarily recalled 29 of them July 1 with a federal Justice Assistance Grant, which funds the positions through the end of the year.

In early August, the city recalled another 31 laid-off police officers with funding from a federal grant. The grant, from the Justice Department's COPS Hiring Recovery Program, is worth $7.1 million over three years. It requires the city to maintain a minimum police manning level of 564 sworn officers for four years.

The Justice Department notified the city that it had been approved for the grant, but the mayor held off its acceptance until he had a better understanding of the requirements the federal money imposed.

The officers recalled on Thursday are the last of those that had been laid off.