And, although city officials say they will continue with budget workshop sessions to find a way to bring the officers back, a slower response time and fewer officers on the street will cause problems for the city in the interim – especially the business community, businessowners said.

Tuesday, February 15, 2000

And, although city officials say they will continue with budget workshop sessions to find a way to bring the officers back, a slower response time and fewer officers on the street will cause problems for the city in the interim – especially the business community, businessowners said.

"We need those officers out there," Ironton Business Association co-president Lou Pyles said. "We need our police protection to keep our businesses safe and make the owners of the businesses feel safe."

"It’s a true shame that this had to happen," said Mrs. Pyles, who owns and operates Lou’s Style Shop.

The cuts could potentially hurt industrial recruiting efforts, she added.

"When new people come to town and new businesses who are thinking of relocating investigate the area, they are going to want to know about our level of police protection."

Other businessowners, like Unger’s Shoes owner Joe Unger, had hoped the city could find a way to retain the officers without letting them go first.

"I"m horribly disappointed, both for the city and for the officers," Unger said. "I was really hoping that there was some sort of program that paid for police officers that would allow us to avoid a situation like this."

A city that formerly was headed in a positive direction is now in danger of not fulfilling its potential, Unger added.

"That was a hard blow for everyone," Unger said. "Crimes have been so low and the response time has been so fast that it’s going to be a disappointment for us with fewer officers on the road."

But, with about 1,000 jobs gone within 10 months in the city, Central Hardware and Furniture owner Roy Ratliff said it is an understandable move by the city administration.

Although somewhat worried about decreasing police protection in the city – especially with vandalism and the ever-present cruising problem – city administrators were not left with many options, Ratliff said.

"We’re not the ones responsible for running the city, so we have to let those who we have elected to do so do their jobs," Ratliff said. "The mayor and the city council know everything about the city finances and budget and we have to trust them to make the decisions using their best judgment. With all of the money they’ve lost, they don’t have much of a choice."

But police and fire protection should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, Mrs. Pyles said.

Supporting the department and the out-of-work officers is one of the most important steps to community unity right now, Mrs. Pyles added.

"Those men and women put their lives on the line every day for us," she said. "I’m thankful we have them and I think it’s time for us to be there for them the way they have been there for us. We need to support our police department."