Departures save four Norman police jobs

NORMAN — Four police officers facing layoffs will get to keep their jobs following the recent resignations of three officers and the retirement of two others, a Norman Police Department spokesman said Thursday.

The resignations — two are effective Monday — were unanticipated and the officers have been on the job for four years or less, Capt. Brent Barbour told The Oklahoman.

“We usually lose about 10 positions a year,” Barbour said. “To lose five in a few weeks is very abnormal.”

One of the officers retired earlier than expected, he said. None of the officers was identified.

The Norman City Council 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 will be used for community outreach and development programs, while $235,000 will be used to create an internal auditor position to monitor police overtime.

In all, the department had to eliminate nine sworn officer programs this week, 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.

Chief Kevin Foster recently told The Oklahoman he worries that officers will begin to look to neighboring police forces for more money and community support following the budget cuts.” I hope I don't have officers going to other departments,” he said. “I think officers look there and feel those communities are supporting them more. I worry we will lose some people if they start hiring north of us in places like Moore, Oklahoma City and Edmond.”

Other officers are known to be seeking alternative employment opportunities, but those are not able to be confirmed until they submit a notice of separation, the spokesman said.

“The climate at a national and local level will definitely be something people are considering,” he said. “It's a consideration.”

Barbour said he is not aware that any of the outgoing officers specifically mentioned the budget cuts during exit interviews but thinks that will change in the future.

“The impacts of the national attention our city and department have received lately are yet to be realized, but we do anticipate these recent actions will impact our ability to recruit potential new officers to our agency,” he said.”