By Tom Lambert, The Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Mich.)
The union representing the Lansing Police Department is accusing Mayor Tony Benavides of leaving 13 police positions vacant because it didn’t endorse him in the November election.
Tom Krug, executive director of the local Fraternal Order of Police, said that’s what he has been told by some of his 294 members. The union endorsed state Sen. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, in the mayoral race. “There is a feeling among officers in the police department that Benavides not filling our positions is political payback,” Krug said.
Benavides denied the claim: “There is no animosity or retaliation against the police department.”
The union points out that Benavides is filling 13 of the 14 vacant fire department positions. The fire department didn’t endorse a mayoral candidate. “We think that shows he is favoring them and trying to hurt us,” Krug said.
But Benavides said there is a greater need for more staffers in the fire department, based on the amount of overtime firefighters are working. “I am not favoring one department over another,” Benavides said. “The election is over, and we have to move on.”
Police Chief Mark Alley said there is no validity to the police union’s complaint. “The mayor has been responsive to the police department and hasn’t done or said anything to make me feel otherwise,” he said.
Alley said he isn’t having staffing problems and doesn’t expect the department to exceed its overtime budget.
Fire Chief Greg Martin projects his department will be about $200,000 over its overtime budget at the end of its fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Martin disagreed with the police unions’ stance: “It’s ludicrous. This has to do with finances and not politics.”
Tom Cochran, president of Lansing Firefighters Local 421, said he doesn’t understand why his 220 members were brought into the matter. “I don’t agree with (Krug’s) observations,” he said. “Adding these 13 additional positions brings us closer to being fully staffed. And with that, we are hoping we won’t have as much overtime.”