Norman police union sues over defunding vote

NORMAN — Norman's police union is alleging the city council broke the law when it voted last month to reduce the police department's budget by $865,000 and reallocate the money.

The Fraternal Order of the Police, Lodge No. 122, sued the city Thursday in Cleveland County District Court. The union is asking a judge to decide whether the council violated the state's open meeting law and an ordinance that requires proceeds from a .5% sales tax increase be used to retain and hire public safety personnel, including police and school resource officers.

Voters approved the permanent tax increase, known as Public Safety Sales Tax, in 2014. The union asserts that while the council voted to decrease the police budget the city continues to collect sales tax revenue earmarked for additional officers.

Attorneys for the union want the city to refund the money to taxpayers or commit to hiring more officers with the funds that they've collected.

"By reason of the actions of the city in r educin gt he Norman Police Department Budget by $ 865,000, failing to fill the positions set forth in (the ordinance), and failure to comply with the Open Meeting Act, FOP's membership of currently employed police officers are being deprived of these funds and the citizenry is being denied the full complement of l aw enforcement officers," the petition states.

Council members voted June 17 to cut $865,000 from the police department budget in response to calls to fund alternatives to armed policing. About $630,000 is earmarked for community outreach and development programs, while $ 235,000 will be used to create an internal auditor position to monitor police overtime.

The police departmen te li min a ted nine sworn officer positions this week as a result of the cuts, adjusting the department's authorized strength to 171 officers. Seven of those positions were vacant and would have been filled during the next hiring process, authorities said.

"The Council's action decreasing funding of the Norman Police Department by $865,000 violates (the ordinance) and breaches the trust of the citizens who relied on the City's representation to make the temporary tax permanent by their vote in 2014," the petition states.

"The Council' s explanation of its actions to decrease funding and reallocating it to community service programs is sham and p re textual and violates both the letter and spirit of( the ordinance)."

The union accuses the city of violating the state' s open meeting act by failing to refer to "real location of police department budget" or "de funding the police department" in the agendas for a June 16 study session and special meeting that attracted dozens of police critics and supporters and lasted until 4 a.m the next day.