After months of talk of possible layoffs, the San Jose (Calif.) Police Department learned today the force would lose 9% of its sworn officers in a city cost-cutting move.
The agency will send lay-off notices to 106 officers and an additional 20 cops may soon be demoted.
The estimate of 600-plus jobs targeted for elimination assumes 10 percent pay and benefit concessions from 11 of the city's employee unions, which would shave $38 million off the deficit. But so far, only firefighters and three civilian employee unions have agreed.
If the city doesn't secure similar concessions from the rest of the workforce, an additional 155 cops and 300 other workers will be cut. The council can vote to impose pay cuts for a year on the civilian workforce but not on cops.
Source: San Jose Mercury News.
