More information about this new Facebook Application to come…

WDEL reports:

A projected $9-million budget shortfall for the city of Wilmington has forced Mayor Baker to implement cost-saving measures.

Effective March 1st, the city will impose a hiring freeze, and halt all non-essential overtime and travel. The mayor’s also creating a voluntary furlough program, giving employees unpaid time off, while allowing city departments to stay up and running.

Chief of Staff Bill Montgomery says the cuts are a good start, but won’t erase the entire shortfall.

The mayor also announced the suspension of the Police Academy scheduled to begin in June.

This not the only Police Academy that is reported to have fallen victim to budget cuts.  The New York City Police Academy or NYPD Academy, has recently fallen victim  to budget cuts as well.

It seems as though training is the first thing to go in a bad eceonmy and budget cuts.

Classes will meet from 6:30 to 9 p.m., for 10 weeks, each Wednesday beginning March 11 at the Westmont Police Department, 500 N. Cass Ave.

The purpose of the class is to increase the understanding and communication of the police department, it’s police officers, and the community. The program shows what an officer does in his daily job and the issues facing law enforcement today.

Students must be at least 21 years old and must live or work in Westmont, Il. Applicants must have no criminal record, and will be subject to a background check and investigation. Applications are available at the police department and must be returned no later than Wednesday, March 4. Applicants that are accepted for the class will be notified.

For more information, call Deputy Chief Randy King at (630) 981-6300.

The New York City Police Department plans to cancel a 2010 police NYPD Police Academy Class because of budget cuts.

At a City Council public safety committee meeting Tuesday, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that there will be no police academy next January to meet the city’s mandate that the department decrease their ranks by 1,000 officers.

That would bring the head count in the nation’s largest police department to 34,771. That’s down from an earlier projection of 37,838.   Over 3,000 fewer officer will be walking the beat on the New York City streets.

The Police Commissioner said the city will hire a class of 1,600 recruits in July 2010.Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said that it was “time to stop cannibalizing the NYPD for the sake of the budget.”

The city could end up hiring more police officers through President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, however that still remains to be seen.

“These individuals have received the best possible training and are well prepared to face the challenges of law enforcement,” Governor Rendell said.  “We are counting on these new troopers to help Pennsylvania better protect its residents and ensure the safety of our communities.”

Noting that state police now has 4,549 authorized positions – the highest number in history — Governor Rendell said his budget proposal for 2009-2010 is aimed at enabling state police to fill its authorized positions by June 2010.

Naomi Wyatt, secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Administration, was principal speaker at the ceremony, which was held at Central Dauphin High School. Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski offered remarks and Cadet Raymond L. Harding III of Pittsburgh spoke on behalf of the cadet class.

Cadet Timothy E. Janosco Jr. of White Haven, Luzerne County, was named the outstanding cadet by his classmates and instructors, receiving the American Legion Award.  Janosco also won the Daniel F. Dunn High Scholastic Award.

Also receiving awards were:

* Cadet Thomas G. Falcon of Bensalem, Bucks County – Charles B. Gesford High Pistol Award;
* Cadet James C. Mooney of Philadelphia – Col. Paul J. Chylak Memorial Driver Proficiency Award; and
* Cadet Matthew W. Wadsworth of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County – John K. Schafer Memorial Physical Fitness Award.

Major John W. Laufer III, director of the state police Bureau of Training and Education, supervised the training of the class, which was the 128th class to graduate from the State Police Academy in Hershey since it opened in 1960.

The graduates have been assigned to nine different state police troops across the commonwealth and will report to their troops on Feb. 16.

Pennsylvania State Police
Public Information Office
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-783-5556

Participants included youth, seniors, retirees and professionals in the community Marco Island. All regions of the island were also represented.

When asked about their participation, three points were discovered: 1) I wanted to learn, 2) I have an interest in law enforcement, and 3) Police Department Support

The first night, participants took a tour of the Police Department, met with all employees of the department through a class presentation, and the clasees were based on the mission, objectives, budget and crime statistics to the police.

The next class will be held January 31 and the following topics: history and structure of the criminal justice system in America, community policing, research in traffic accidents, and electronic devices to measure speed. Participants also toured all departmental vehicles and ships.

Community members interested in this annual training may be placed on a waiting list to contact the Police Department between 8 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Newark Police Department’s 114th recruit class during their graduation ceremony today in Newark. Fifty-eight recruits were sworn in as police officers.

Newly-sworn Newark Police Officer Genaro Ortiz knew first hand from his father, a veteran detective on the force, what it takes to want the job.

“I grew up all those years watching him. I guess his inspiration rubbed off on me,” said the 23-year-old Ortiz, who graduated in the city’s 114th police recruit class today.

Friends and family cheered wildly inside the city council’s chambers as 58 cadets joined the force, at a time when the department is undergoing radical management and policy changes.

About 250 police recruits have gone through the city’s police academy under Mayor Cory Booker’s administration. The force now has 1,312 officers, according to the city.

Police Director Garry F. McCarthy said he expects to add another 50 to 60 officers this year to boost services, while the department seeks to slash about $3 million in spending from its $156 million budget.

The report also will reflect a drop in shootings to 297 in 2008, down from 393 the year before, and 502 in 2006, as well as the city’s declining murder rate. Newark ended 2008 with 67 murders, a drop from 99 the year before, and 107 in 2006.

McCarthy had stood with Booker during the graduation ceremony, while former police chief Anthony Campos was left sitting to the side. It was a clear indication of the department’s shift to civilian leadership under McCarthy, who signed on with the city during the first year of Booker’s administration two years ago.

Campos resigned from being the city’s top cop in October, but has remained under the civil service title of deputy police chief, after tensions with McCarthy. Campos began serving as an adviser to the mayor on public safety issues on Jan. 1.

The city council is expected to hold a second public hearing Wednesday, before voting on an ordinance to completely do away with the chief’s position, leaving McCarthy’s authority unchallenged.

The move comes after the city settled a lawsuit filed by the Superior Officers Association, which questioned McCarthy’s ability to oversee the force. Booker said he wants the position abolished, so the director can absorb the chief’s responsibilities of the day-to-day operations of the department.

The mayor said today that the position may end up abolished, but that the focus of his leadership team, which still includes Campos, was the same.

“Judge us not by our organizational chart,” he said.

Booker, who also spoke to reporters, said that, “everything was up for discussion,” when asked how an additional $812 million cut in state spending announced by Gov. Jon Corzine this week could impact city services.

However, Booker insisted that police services would remain untouched.

“We are not going to cut back on public safety,” he said.

Many Police Academies and Government Agencies have been forced to reduce their budgets. Although Police Training is instrumental and is evident within the daily functions of Police Officers nationwide, many Police Academies are forced to trim their budgets and find more efficient training programs to serve their officers.

Police spokesman Sgt. Vince Valdez says that puts the department, which is already suffering from a shortage of officers, in a deeper hole. “We’re short right now. We should obviously have more people. But a lot of that has to do with people retiring, moving to other jobs. There’s a host of things that keep that number down. We’d like to get way up. But that’s hard to do,” says Valdez.

Budget cuts have delayed the academy in the past, as well.
You can read the article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28521881/

This might not be the only Police Academy that is effected. Many police academies have reported that their budgets have been effected with the economic situation. Many counties and cities have been forced to cut budgets, and since the training is the least seen item in the public eye, many Police Academies are nervous about being able to provide adequate training on greatly reduced budgets.

“This class puts us over 1,500 officers for the first time since Katrina. Which is a huge, huge for this police department,” said NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley during an address to the graduating class Tuesday.

It took the NOPD three academy classes and a multi-million dollar recruitment campaign to get to that number.

Harlyn Fontenot was one of 54 new recruits to raise their right hands and pledge to defend New Orleans inside Tulane University’s McAlister Auditorium. The 59-year-old former Marine decided to join the department after seeing a recruitment ad in his hometown of Oakdale, La.

“He’s absolutely in shape and ready for the job, so we’re proud of him,” said Fontenot’s daughter, LeAnn Mezzacapo, after the ceremony. Fontenot passed all the requirements of the academy with no special treatment when it came to physical training. In fact, Riley commended Fontenot during Tuesday’s ceremony.

“Because of my fortitude of sticking in there with them, they were very supportive and I love each and every one of them,” Fontenot said about his fellow recruits.

“I think it’s cool,” his young grandson, Coby Mezzacapo, said.

Fontenot’s fellow recruits are much younger. New Orleans native, and now Fifth District Officer Joseph Davis, Jr. is just 25-years-old.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to become a New Orleans police officer and I finally achieved it,” Davis said.

Since Katrina, the NOPD has struggled to both recruit and retain officers.

“Just started another class last week. And our recruitment won’t stop. We will continue to lose, we estimate about 48 officers by June if our attrition rate stays at 8.25. So, we’re gonna continue to recruit to maintain the 1,550,” Riley said in an interview following the ceremony.

The NOPD is still trying to recruit Louisiana National Guard soldiers to join the force after their tours of duty in the city. They’re supposed to attend an accelerated police academy, but that first National Guard class hasn’t happened yet.

“We actually had about 35 up front and now it may be like 20. We feel good about that, and we hope to start a class sometime in January, at least by the end of January,” said Riley.

Even Tuesday’s graduating class started out bigger, but 21 recruits didn’t make it through the academy, according to the superintendent, largely due to problem with physical fitness.

“It’s a little bit higher than normal for us,” Riley said.

The superintendent said he had hoped to get the department up to 1,600 officers in 2009, and that he still hopes to be able to do that. However, Riley said it depends on a re-examination of the New Orleans City Budget in June, and whether he’s given permission to increase his ranks.

Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero said that 22 recruits from 10 law enforcement agencies will be participating in the six-month training session, which will be held at the Ontario County Safety Training Center in Hopewell . Recruits are scheduled to graduate July 15 at a ceremony at the auditorium of the Canandaigua Academy.

Class size is reduced slightly, from 26 recruits last year. Povero said that the number corresponds to the average position losses to police in recent years.

This year’s class includes recruits from Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Yates and Livingston’s office of the county sheriff, the Port Byron, Dansville, Penn Yan Lyon and the police and the Finger Lakes Community College Campus Safety Office.

The academy will include the program mandated by the New York State Division of Safety Training, but also several additions implemented by the Academy of the committee, chaired by Povero and regional Police and Sheriffs.

“We try to make sure there is an emphasis on rural law enforcement practiced in this area,”  said Povero.

The course also includes a two-day seminar for spouses and family members of prospective officers, many of whom have never had a close become a police officer said.

The session option includes the foundation for security of firearms, care and cleaning of police uniforms and, in this new year, what to do if they see their undercover or plain-clothed significant other in public.

“We’re very happy with that,” Povero said. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from families about how it helps them understand what being a police officer is all about.”