Great Falls Police Department tightening belt

Associated Press - July 19, 2008 5:44 PM ET GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - Great Falls Police Chief Corky Grove says his department will be cutting programs and reshuffling some officers over the next fiscal year because of budget cuts. Grove says the agency will drop Drug Abuse Resistance Education in fifth grade and Law Related Education in the city's high schools. It also will suspend a police-accreditation program. In addition, Grove says the department will not immediately replace the next two officers who quit. That will decrease its number of uniformed officers to 81. Grove says the cuts are necessary to keep expenses within the budget for fiscal year 2009 that was approved this past week by city commissioners. The budget gives the department about $9.5 million. That's 1.2% less than it spent in fiscal year 2008.... [read full story]