Elimination of Police Dispatcher

On March 5^th, Mayor Carty Finkbinder thanked the residents of Toledo that voted for the renewal of the ¾% levy tax which he had religiously campaigned for. Carty stated that if the levy had failed, the city would have lost approximately 57 million dollars which meant 40% of Toledo's workforce would have to be eliminated in 2009 with the bulk of the elimination being in the police and fire departments and the cancelation of both police and fire classes.

Although delighted at the passage, city council was quick to point out that Toledo was facing a deficit of 10 million dollars and further cuts would have to be made so that a balanced budget could be presented to the state by the end of the month. (March)

However, today many of the residents of West Toledo are quite upset over the recent news concerning the Toledo Police Department. According to Chief Mike Navarre, the Toledo Police Department is relocating the patrol officers from the 5^th District Police Station located on Sylvania Avenue to either the central (down town) station or the station located in the Scott Park District. Although the Sylvania building will remain open, allowing the public to enter the building to file complaints or talk to station officers, the relocation of the patrol officers, will allow the police to cut down from three radio dispatch frequencies to two frequencies. This would eliminate one dispatcher and could save Toledo's tax payers approximately half a million dollars, according to Mayor Carty Finkbinder's spokesman. The residents of the area were informed that, although there will be no patrol cars at the station , the station would be opened 24 hours, and the area would still be patrolled, with the cars being dispatched from the downtown or Scott Park Station.