The City of New Haven announced they are reducing the police budget by $4 million and eliminating 48 positions in the department.
The decision to cut the police budget was announced in the city's annual budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
A total of 48 positions within the police department, or 11% of personnel, will be eliminated.
Also, the city approved a $4,000,000 cut to the police budget.
The reduction in staffing will make it more difficult for the police department to have enough officers for walking beats, which are more labor-intensive, and also increases the likelihood of supervisor transfers because fewer supervisor positions will exist, according to the City of New Haven.
"While Police, Fire, and some other Departments have suffered significant cuts that will strain our ability to provide the services residents require, there have been no cuts to youth services and homeless services and only minimal cuts to other areas that provide critical support in this very challenging economic time," the city said in a statement.
Other cuts include a reduction of senior services, a reduction of library hours, a slower repair schedule for Parks and Public Works projects, a reduction of support for the arts and more.
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A copy of the city's approved budget can be viewed here.
