BigDog, I just found this article. Is this true. Did he really lose his job too? Along with all theses others.
OMG. How much more can a family take? Is the community helping financially in any way? Sure hope so.
Minneapolis Park Police Layoffs Force 17 Officers Off Job Last Edited: Thursday, 28 Aug 2008, 10:32 PM CDT Created: Thursday, 28 Aug 2008, 8:22 PM CDT
Minneapolis Park Police
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'Going-Away Party' for Potential Loss of St. Paul Cops to 'BurbsVideos
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minneapolis Park Police's motto is to protect and serve people in the park. For a department that's small to begin with, it's about to get even smaller.
Because the department lost a lucrative contract, it says it can't afford to keep all of its officers. But one officer is being hit the hardest.
Officer Jeff Kirby is deathly ill, out on medical leave, when he learned he was on the list of layoffs. Kirby suffers from leukemia, his head is swollen from chemo treatments, and he's only 31-years-old.
Kirby and 16 other officers received letters in the mail informing them of the layoff. Other officers on the casualty list have worked for the city in one way or another for nearly two decades. The cuts are on a seniority basis, and come because the park board lost a hefty contract to provide security at public schools for the Minneapolis Police Department.
"Seeing that we are taking over the contract for schools, we're gonna try to merge some officers over at MPD and have them continue to work in schools so it's an easy transition," insists MPD Sgt. Jesse Garcia.
Parents who rely on the Park Police to protect their kids during leisure time are also concerned. "We want to send kids to a place where safe, go to place where there's not a lot violence where somebody's got an eye on them," says parent Mark Mask.
The Park Police Chief canceled an interview with FOX 9 Thursday, calling the issue "too sensitive."