Norman chief says police services not hurt by cuts

NORMAN — Norman Police Chief Kevin Foster and other city officials said Wednesday that calls for service have not been affected since the city council reallocated $865,321 from the police department's proposed $23.3 million fiscal 2021 budget.

Foster, City Manager Darrel Pyle and Finance Director Anthony Francisco, speaking at a news conference, cited misinformation about the police department's budget and ability to respond to calls they said is circulating on social media.

“We still have the ability to respond to calls and we hope that it is not affecting our response times,” Foster said. “And if it is, it's most likely affecting those that are nonemergency calls.

“If it ever gets to the point where we couldn't respond or weren't responding in a timely manner, I would pull back other positions back into patrol and cut other services. We will always respond, we will always have the people to take the calls when you call ... and the officers to respond in the street.”

Additionally, Foster said the department will have an academy in March to train incoming officers. He said the department hadn't planned on having an academy this year because of a hiring freeze and other factors.

Neither Foster nor Pyle would identify the source or sources of the misinformation, with Pyle only saying it was “individuals and groups.”

In recent days, the group Unite Norman has distributed a mailer that depicts a woman with a worried look on her face as she reads a text message that says “I'm sorry ma'am, we don't have any police officers to help you.”

The other side of the mailer reads“DE FUNDING THE POLICE IS JUST THE START OF THESE NORMAN CITY COUNCILOR'S RADICAL AGENDA!”

The group is seeking to recall Norman Mayor Breea Clark and three council members for defunding police and “not upholding t he will of the people” and is collecting signatures in support of their effort.

The council voted June 16 to reduce the city manager's proposed police budget increase, directing the savings be spent for an auditor and for community programs, such as mental health services. Seven police officer positions were eliminated as a result of the $630,321 budget reduction, he said.

Francisco pointed out that the department's budget increased by $300,024, from $30.9 million in fiscal year 2020 to $31.2 million in fiscal year 2021, which began July 1.

City of Norman attorneys, meanwhile, have asked a court to dismiss claims by Norman's police union that the city council illegally reduced the police department budget.