Mo. officials warn that police budget cuts will bring problems, increase crime

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By Christine Vendel
Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY — A proposed $12 million budget cut for Kansas City police could cause crime to increase and also slow response times, police officials said Tuesday.

They now calculate that they might have to lay off 225 employees, more than previously estimated. Even if many of those are civilians, the cuts would impact significantly the number of officers on the street.