Ken Mann
1/21/2013
Hamilton's 141 million dollar police budget has been approved (5-2) by the city's police services board.
But there are predictions that it will not receive the backing of City Council, when it is placed before Hamilton politicians next month.
Councillor Terry Whitehead, who voted against Chief Glenn DeCaire 2013 request along with fellow police board member Bernie Morelli, notes that the police budget has almost doubled in just over a decade.
Whitehead stresses that we already have an affordability issue in this community, stressing that "we have to get off the road we're on and control these costs".
Chief Glenn DeCaire's current request is for a 3.9% budget increase, including the hiring of 20 new officers, to protect citizens from crime.
This is the chief's third shot at gaining approval for his budget, which has gone from a requested increase of 5.2% to 4.7% and now to 3.9%.
Whitehead has also taken aim at the police services board saying it has too many members with a public service background and a "sense of entitlement".
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