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Jeremy M. Lazarus | 10/13/2016, 5:13 p.m.
If Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham thought Mayor Dwight C. Jones was going to rush to Richmond City Council to seek approval for a plan to hire 70 more police officers over the next year to beef up his department, he was mistaken.
Despite sending a letter to City Council on Sept. 26 outlining the proposal, Mayor Jones didn’t introduce legislation this week for the nine-member governing body to consider.
One element of the mayor’s proposal was to provide $1.6 million to cover the cost of having the police hire and begin training a new class of 20 police recruits this fall.
Even if the proposal is introduced at the next meeting, it would need to go to the Public Safety Committee and possibly to the Finance Committee, meaning it would not come before the full council for at least another 30 days.
The Free Press reported last week on the proposal that seeks to boost the department’s authorized strength to 800 officers and fill personnel gaps that have developed as a result of retirements and resignations.
Selena Cuffee-Glenn, the city’s chief administrative officer and the No. 2 official at City Hall, said the police expansion proposal was one item on her lengthy to-do list.
She could not say Monday when the administration would introduce the proposal to expand the police force.
“Our goal is to have it voted on before the end of the year,” she said.
Mayor Jones leaves office Dec. 31.
