GLOVERSVILLE - With four members of the city police department on light duty or leave and a fifth scheduled to retire soon, staffing levels there are at their lowest level in years.
That has some city officials concerned, but Capt. James Lorenzoni said it is business as usual in the department.
Two officers are on light duty due to injuries sustained while on the job, while two others are off duty, recovering from injuries sustained while off duty, Lorenzoni said. The latter two officers are expected to be back at work within a few weeks, he said.
"We have 28 patrolmen and four of them are out, which brings us to the lowest [staffing] levels we've had in a few years," he said. "But it's status quo. We've been dealing with this for a year or two now."
Soon, the two officers recently hired by the city will complete their supervised training and will be able to patrol on their own, Lorenzoni said. Following a rash of crime, including riots and drug busts, the Common Council authorized the department to hire two officers to help the department's staffing levels.
In recent budget cuts, the department has seen several positions eliminated, and the size of the department has been decreasing over the last several years.
"Things are looking up," Lorenzoni said. "When those two officers come off of field training, that will bolster us."
Mayor Dayton King said he continues to be concerned about staffing levels in the department and said that with a $1.3 million deficit looming, he is concerned the police department will again be a victim of budget cuts.
"The city will have to make some tough choices," he said. "I have ideas for revenue and savings but I need cooperation."
King said he is hoping a group of city residents will organize a neighborhood watch. He said if a neighborhood watch organization is formed, officials in the police department could help contribute.
He added he encourages residents to always call police if they see suspicious activity.
"What has to happen now is the people in the community need to get together and possibly have something like a neighborhood watch," he said.
The city recently applied for a grant that would pay for several officers for several years but would require the city to keep those officers employed. King said the city will not know if it receives the grant until later this year.
Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com.