Usually, police are on the streets fighting crime. But Wednesday in Orchard Park, town police officers and about 100 of their supporters were fighting Town Hall.
The group staged a picket outside Wednesday's Board meeting where lawmakers debated a proposed 300-thousand-dollar cut to the police budget. Lieutenant Mark Pacholec said the loss of money would cut a department that is already understaffed.
"The town never grew the department as the town grew, so I can understand they want to cut back, but we have nothing left to cut. Over the last five years, we've had four people retire. Four out of 33 is almost a 14-percent reduction there in of itself. Now they want to cut off or layoff more," said PacholecBoard Member Nancy Ackerman said the town cannot keep taking from its reserves to pay for services. She says staffing would remain at current levels if the police dropped their request -- currently in arbitration -- for a 3% pay raise over the next three years.
"The unit would stay whole if they all would be willing to work for their present salary, knowing that they have health care and that they already have retirement that we are paying, this community is paying, 30-percent for annually," said Ackerman.
Other Board members echoed Ackerman's sentiments, but no decisions were made last night. They Board has until November 20 to approve the Town budget.