At least 14 officers at the Raytown Police Department have submitted their resignations, the department confirms, and more officers are expected to step down.
The resignations follow news that budget cuts could force the department to eliminate nearly a third of its sworn officers.
Raytown city officials face a Nov. 1 deadline to resolve a budget deficit.
The cuts most endanger the police department, which could lose 17 of 56 sworn officers and ten civilians.
A department spokesperson confirmed that many of the officers who resigned were veterans of the department and likely wouldn’t have been eliminated otherwise.
Earlier this month, City Administrator Tom Cole told KCUR that all city departments will do internal reviews to come up with “even the slimmest savings.”
A large part of the problem is a local Walmart that pays no taxes, thanks to a deal the company made with city officials a decade ago. Meanwhile, police are called so often to that Walmart that one Raytown alderman wants it labeled a public nuisance.
Lisa Rodriguez is the afternoon newscaster for KCUR 89.3. Follow her on Twitter @larodrig.
