EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KTVI-FOX2Now.com)—
Nearly one third of the police officers in the crime plagued city of East St. Louis will be laid off this Sunday. Firefighters are being laid off as well as several other city workers. That announcement came on Friday from city officials after a furlough deal couldn't be worked out.The police department is getting hit the hardest by the cuts. a total of 19 police officers will be laid off. The department only has a total force of 61. Police Chief Lenzie Stewart says personnel currently assigned to special operations units will have to be pulled back in to patrol the streets. Stewart also says he will be asking for help from other agencies including the Illinois state police.
About a quarter of the fire department is also being laid off. 11 firefighters are losing jobs out of a total force of 44. Four public works employees are getting pink slips as well as three other city administrators.
Mayor Parks says the city is one point two million dollars in the red. Parks says a furlough deal was offered where workers would take two furlough days per pay period for the rest of the year. That deal was rejected by the unions. The mayor says citizens will have to step up to keep the streets safe.
Parks says the furlough would have amounted to about a 15 percent salary cut. A total of 37 employees are being laid off. Parks says that should enable the city to balance its budget.
