Lynn’s top cop eyes stimulus cash to help keep force intact

LYNN – Money from the $787 billion federal stimulus package could make or break the Lynn police department, which is pondering drastic cost-cutting measures if funding continues to decline.Responding to rumors the Lynn police Gang Unit and Special Investigations Unit could be axed July 1 due to further budget cuts, Police Chief John Suslak said Monday the department has no plans to terminate the units as of now.However, that could all change if the city doesn’t receive the amount of money it’s hoping from the federal government.”What we have to say right now is, ‘We just don’t know,'” Suslak said.Suslak says slashing the units would be the department’s last resort and would only happen if the police department doesn’t receive the level of funding for FY ’10 it’s hoping from the stimulus package, which was approved by Congress last week.”Nobody has specific answers yet on when this money is going to come and where it’s going to go,” he said.The Gang Unit consists of a small group of officers, who often work in plain clothing, that frequent gang-plagued neighborhoods to gather information and monitor gang activity. The officers identify known gang members and relate much of their information back to officers on routine patrol and other police departments.The Special Investigations Unit, often referred to as a “vice squad,” carries out long-term investigations. Recently the unit has been credited with making numerous prostitution arrests, enforcing liquor license laws, making drug arrests and ending convenience store gambling rings, among other operations, many of which are undercover.When asked if word of cutting the two units is still in the rumor stage, Suslak answered, “Yeah, it is.”He said officers are aware that budget cuts are looming, but he doesn’t want to speculate on what might be cut in the worse-case scenario.”We try to keep these folks in the loop the best we can,” Suslak said. “We’re trying to move calmly. We don’t want to disrupt the community or the officers’ lives if we don’t have to.”The department has begun reducing spending in the wake of a $458,915 cut for the remainder of the fiscal year, Suslak said. Five school-stationed police officers, one Special Investigation Unit officer and one training officer have been placed back on a routine patrol division. Training new officers and purchasing new police vehicles have been put on hold as another cost-butting measure, he said.In addition to the cut the department already received, another $545,000 in state funds might be cut after July 1. According to Suslak, it’s questionable if a state Municipal Hiring Grant that’s worth approximately $320,000 and a state Community Policing Grant that’s worth approximately $225,000 would be eliminated.Gov. Deval Patrick has implied that the Community Policing Grant would likely be cut.One thing that hasn’t been reduced, yet, is the number of officers assigned to street patrols, according to Suslak, who said 14 officers and three supervisors are on-duty 24 hours a day.However, he points out that nothing appears to be sacred in these dire economic times.”That’s our hope, not to pull officers from the street,” Suslak said. “But if we’re not making that kind of savings (we need), that will be something we’ll have to consider.”