The Gainesville Police Department might not be able to maintain the same level of service after meeting 5 percent budget cuts demanded by the Gainesville City Commission, GPD spokesman Keith Kameg said.
GPD will propose a $1.3 million cut to the Commission on April 16. Its annual budget is $30 million.
"Like every department in the city, we don't want to lose one dollar," he said. "But we understand. It's pretty clear what's going on out there with the economy."
Kameg said that GPD has been fortunate in the last two budget cycles.
"Although we have proposed cuts that included laying off people, the City Commission has not accepted any of them and has left our budget untouched."
Along with every city department, GPD will have to defend their services to the Commission.
"They have incredibly hard decisions to make, and we realize that law enforcement is half of the city's budget," he said.
Kameg said while GPD will prepare for the worst, he is hoping for the best.
"This year will be especially hard because we anticipate cuts to our budget and an increase in crime," he said.
Those things together are the worst factors imaginable for law enforcement, Kameg said.
"There will absolutely be service reductions," he said.
GPD has already started cutting costs around the department, Kameg said, and he believes the cost saving measures will help in 2010 when the 5 percent budget cut may be enacted.
For example, by replacing 8-year-old police cars with more fuel efficient Dodge Chargers, GPD will save about $150,000 in gas.
To save on travel costs, officers also have stopped training in other cities, Kameg said.
