Police and Fire Departments Will Get New Hires

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Story Published: Nov 25, 2009 at 6:51 PM PST

By Lena Vargas

KENNEWICK-- Tight budget or not, the Kennewick Police Department will get three new hires.

That would bring staffing back to what it was six years ago, before the most recent population boom.
Captain Craig Littrell says the department welcomes the city's change of heart.

“When you can't fill positions, you start looking at programs and you start thinking about how you deliver services and if you start taking away officers off the road, at some point you have to determine what kind of calls you're going to respond to and what you're not going to respond to," said Littrell.

Just two weeks ago, it looked like the department wouldn't get its three new hires. But the city decided the positions were too important not to fill.

Other cuts have been made to make up for this year's $1.5 million dollar gap. The fire department also has similar good news: it gets two new hires.

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