- The Quincy City Commission has approved the hiring of two officers, Funds will come from cuts to the city commission and building/planning budgets.
- Neighbors urged commissioners to add more officers to enhance safety. Story linked here
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Quincy Police Department is set to add two new officers—but it comes at a cost of $86,000. In an effort to address safety concerns, city leaders have made the decision to allocate the funds, even if it means cutting from other areas in the city's budget.
Quincy’s city commission approved an $88,000 budget adjustment to fund the new hires, which will help boost the city's law enforcement presence. The cuts include $40,000 from the city commission budget and $48,000 from the building and planning fund.
Neighbor Ryan Kelley views this as a positive development for the community, seeing it as a step toward improving safety.
"I think anything we can do to help improve the situation is a step in the right direction," said Kelley.
For Chief Carlos Hill, the approval of the new officers is a win for both his department and the entire city. Chief Hill says he is committed to ensuring the safety of the community and aims to hire the officers quickly.
"Our window is about 45 days for hiring an officer. From the start of the interview process to first day," said Chief Hill.
In the meantime, Chief Hill assures the community that his officers will step up patrols to ensure a visible presence around the city.
While this budget adjustment will help bolster the police force, city commissioners are hopeful that, as more funds become available, they will be able to add more officers in the future.
For now, neighbors like Ryan Kelley urge the community to take an active role in their own safety. Kelley emphasized the importance of communication within the community to help keep everyone informed.
"The community itself needs to talk a lot more. I think everybody needs to share information; we're probably the best force we got," Kelley said.
The city plans to hire these officers by March, to restore a greater sense of security throughout Quincy.
