Placing The Blame For RO Police & Fire Cuts

Police and fire cuts in Royal Oak have some pointing the finger of blame at a state senator.

Because of cuts in the states revenue sharing dollars in the past four years the Royal Oak Fire Department has lost 16 of its firefighters.

"That means we don't have proper staffing on engines right now , the north-east corner of the city doesn't have an ambulance assigned to that station," said Royal Oak firefighter Jim Hodson.

Hodson, an 18 year veteran firefighter, holds State Senator John Pappageorge accountable, "He's in charge of the committee that decides where the revenue sharing goes. Cuts from the revenue sharing directly relate to the cuts in police and fire staffing."

Michigan Association of Police, Executive Director Frank Timpner, echos the loss the revenue sharing for the city, "While we in law enforcement are tying to take a bite out of crime, Senator Pappageorge is taking a bite out of the revenue sharing that is coming back to these communities."

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