Long Beach Unveils Plan To Offset Police, Fire Cuts With Oil Cash
LONG BEACH (CBS) — A group of Long Beach City Council members unveiled a well-oiled plan on Tuesday they've to avoid more cutbacks in police and fire protection.
The new plan — proposed by council members Gerrie Schipske, Steven Neal, and Rae Gabelich — used millions of dollars the city receives in oil revenues to restore cuts made to police, fire and libraries.
But as KNX 1070's Ron Kilgore reports, the trio's plan has at least one fire official concerned about public safety.
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The current 2012 budget proposal includes reduced staffing in the police department and switching from 4-person fire engine crews to 3-person crews.
Firefighters union president Rich Brant say the cuts would actually mean sending more units to a scene to fight a fire.
"That means bigger holes in the outlying areas for servicing those citizens, so it's a domino effect with us," said Brant.
