Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said the city will not accept a $1.8 million federal grant to hire 15 police officers.
Purzycki said if the city accepted the grant, it would have been required to spend an additional $3.5 million over the next four years. The city is facing a structural budget deficit.
He said new Police Chief Robert Tracy supported the decision. Purzycki said the department will have a sufficient number of officers to conduct agency operations at 314, even with the elimination of five vacant positions as proposed in the mayor’s proposed 2018 budget.
The new chief is expected to get more officers on the street and away from desk duty.
Purzycki also noted that a 2015 state crime commission report said the WPD has sufficient resources to adequately fight crime in the city.
“These federal grants are not free money,” said Purzycki. “In theory, when cities accept these types of grants and add more police officers, they should do so with the understanding that the number of officers will be reduced by an equal amount through attrition when the grant expires.” However, Purzycki said past practice in Wilmington proves that doesn’t happen.
Instead, the mayor said, police and fire department staffing has been inflated over the past decade through the acceptance of federal grants. Purzycki said when past administrations, and now his administration, have tried to cut positions to save money and bring staffing back, the move is met with opposition. “We are breaking with that irresponsible fiscal practice as of today by not accepting this latest grant,” said Purzycki.
Purzycki said that when past administrations have tried to cut positions to save money,is met with opposition. “We are breaking with that irresponsible fiscal practice as of today by not accepting this latest grant,” said Purzycki.
The grant that has been declined was applied for by and awarded to the previous Williams Administration which then deferred a decision until the Purzycki Administration had a chance to review it.
