By Rob South, WKAR News
LANSING, MI – About 2 dozen people protested at Lansing city hall last night against a plan to lay off 14 police officers. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero announced last week that he would cut 14 officers from the payroll as part of a plan to save the city about $3 million this fiscal year. Kathi Dibean organized the picket. She says the Lansing police department is already understaffed and taking more patrols off the streets would jeopardize public safety.
"I want to make sure that we as citizens are taken care of and protected, as well as our officers," Dibean says.
Bernero says the Fraternal Order of Police wouldn't accept contract concessions that would have prevented the layoffs. A spokesman for the FOP says the mayor's office has rejected the union's suggestions to save the department money without concessions.