Lexington, Ky. - Lexington will be adding 25 officers to its police force, paid for with a federal grant of $3.9 million.
The grant was announced Thursday, along with an announcement by Mayor Jim Gray that he is creating a Public Safety Task Force to address problems at the Fayette County Detention Center, 911 emergency dispatch operations and other areas of city-county government affecting public safety.
Gray specifically mentioned the jail and 911 center "where we know we've had issues," and are looking for "sustained improvements" but the task force may identify other issues as well.
Ray Sabbatine was recently appointed interim director of jail after director bishop retired shortly after two reports critical of the jail were issued. "We have started to address operational issues at the jail, but a long-term plan is needed," Gray said.
Gray said the task force would not be addressing the ongoing problem of the city's under-funded pension for police officers and firefighters. He said the task force would be dealing more with "technical and management issues."
The next step in forming the task force is the creation of a steering committee that will recommend the membership and mission of the task force. The steering committee is being chaired by Chris Frost, a University of Kentucky law professor who chaired the mayor's transition team and showed "what collaborative work is all about," Gray said.
Frost said the task force would include representation from urban county government, the public safety departments as well as judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and social services agencies.
The steering committee will provide a report to the mayor by Oct. 14 so the task force can be in place by the end of October.
As for the 25 police officers, they will be added as soon as possible, said Commander Doug Pape, who helped prepare the grant application.
Police Chief Ronnie Bastin said the new patrol officers will help the department "avoid cutting vital, non-emergency services."
Earlier this year, Bastin proposed cutting youth programs such as DARE, an anti-drug and alcohol program and GREAT, which addresses bullying and gang activity, though Pape said DARE was "not necessarily " one of the programs that would benefit from the extra officers.
The $3.9 million grant COPS grant (Community Oriented Policing Services) will pay for the salaries and benefits of the new officers for three years. The 25 officers will bring Lexington's police force up to about 550 officers.
Lexington was one of only 13 cities across the nation to be awarded a grant for the maximum of 25 officers. Other cities in Kentucky to receive COPS grants were Paris, Greensburg and Springfield.