Number of officers leaving Lexington Police Department at an alarming rate, highest in 10 years

NATIONWIDE...RECORD NUMBERSOF POLICE OFFICERSARE LEAVING THEPROFESSION...INCLUDING HERE INCENTRAL KENTUCKY.THE LEXINGTONPOLICE DEPARTMENTIS NO DIFFERENT....THE CITY'SCOMMISSIONER OFPUBLIC SAFETY SAYSIT'S THE HIGHESTNUMBER TO LEAVETHE FORCE IN TENYEARS.NOW, NEWINFORMATION ISSHEDDING A LIGHTON THE IMPACT TOPUBLIC SAFETY....AND THE CITY'SBUDGET.TONIGHT... EVENINGEDITION'S LEIGHSEARCY IS GOINGIN-DEPTH ON THISISSUE.EXPLAINING HOWTHE DEPARTURES...COULD AFFECTYOUR FAMILY.THE THIN BLUE LINECONTINUES TOSHRINK AT THELEXINGTON POLICEDEPARTMENT.OFFICERS BAILING ATAN ALARMING RATE...CAUSING A HUGESHORTAGEACCORDING TOLOCAL FOPPRESIDENT JEREMYRUSSELL.SGT.

JEREMYRUSSELL: FOPPRESIDENTBLUEGRASS LODGE4 I PERSONALLYPREDICT WE'LL BE100 BELOW BY JULY1THAT'S 15-PERCENTSHY OF FULLCAPACITY WHICH IS633 OFFICERS.RUSSELL SAYS ITSMAINLYEXPERIENCEDOFFICERS WHO'VELEFT OR GAVE THEIRNOTICE.

HE SAYSMOST RETIREDWHILE OTHERSRESIGNED... AND AGOOD PORTION OFTHOSE TOOK JOBSAT OTHERDEPARTMENTS.IT'S A FORCESTRETCHED THIN....RUSSELL: WEHAVE A LOT OFTIRED OFFICERSOUT THERE.AND THE CITY'SPAYING FOR ITRUSSELL: RIGHTNOW HONESTLYYOU COULD WORKTWO SHIFTS PERDAY 7 DAYS A WEEKIF YOU WANTED ITACCORDING TO THEFOP, THE CITY PAID82 THOUSANDDOLLARS INOVERTIME THE PASTTWO WEEKS... TOCOVER PATROLDUTIES.... THAT'SOFFICERS WORKINGLONGER SHIFTS...ONSPECIALASSIGNMENTS ASWELL AS FILLINGBEAT STAFFING.DO THE MATH....THE MONEY SPENTON OVERTIME JUSTTO FILL VACANT ORADDITIONAL SHIFTS.... HAS MORE THANDOUBLED... .......JUMPING FROM 308THOUSAND DOLLARLAST FISCAL YEARTO MORE THAN HALFA MILLION SO FARTHIS FISCAL YEAR.THAT'S A 60-PERCENTINCREASE.THE OVERTIME ADDSUP... FOR PATROLALONE, RUSSELLSAYS THE CITY HASFORKED OUT 600THOUSAND DOLLARSTHIS FISCAL YEARWHICH ENDS JULYFIRST...PUTTINGTHEM 55 THOUSANDOVER BUDGET ANDCOUNTING.

THE CITYSAYS IT'S STILLWITHIN ITS 1.6MILLION OVERTIMEBUDGET.RUSSELL:TYPICALLY WEHAVE MONEY LEFTOVER IN OTBUDGET, SO THISYEAR WE'VE GONEBEYOND WHAT WASBUDGETED ANDTHERE'S NOTELLING HOW FARWE'LL EXCEED IT.LEIGH "SETTINGMONEY ASIDE, WEWANT TO KNOWWHAT A SHORTAGEOF OFFICERSMEANS TO YOU.WHETHER IT'S A 911LIFE OR DEATHEMERGENCY OR ACALL TO REPORT ATHEFT.... WILLPOLICE BE THEREWHEN YOU NEEDTHEM?

THAT'S THEQUESTION.OBVIOUSLY 911CALLS REMAIN APRIORITY... BUTOVERALL, WHAT'STHE AVERAGE TIMEFROM DISPATCH TOARRIVAL?ACCORDING TOLEXINGTON POLICEDATA WE OBTAINED...FOR THIS PAST APRILAND MAY... AVERAGERESPONSE TIMES:MORE THAN 6MINUTES.... UP FROMA YEAR AGORUSSELL: IF YOUCALL FOR ACOLLISION REPORTA THEFT REPORTYOU COULDPOTENTIALLY BEWAITING FORHOURS BEFORE ANOFFICER ISWAITING TORESPOND BECAUSEWE'RE HANDLINGTHE HIGHERPRIORITY CALLSBEFORE THELOWER PRIORITYCALLSA JUGGLING ACT,MANY POLICEDEPARTMENTS AREDOING... WITH EVENMORE DEPARTURESEXPECTED AT THEEND OF THE YEAR.THE CITY'SCOMMISSIONER OFPUBLIC SAFETY SAYSIT'S THE HIGHESTNUMBER OFOFFICERS TO LEAVEIN TEN YEARS.

ATREND SEEN ALLOVER.RUSSELL: I THINKTHERE'S ENOUGHCOMBINATION OFLITTLE THINGSPEOPLE ARETAKING IT TOHEART AND HITTINGTHE ROADA ROAD AWAY FROMPATROLING THESTREETS OFLEXINGTON...LEIGH SEARCY LEX18 NEWSNANCY:IT'S NOT JUST