Free Republic

Dozens of layoffs effective at midnight, barring last minute deal. Oakland's police chief is making some dire claims about what his force will and will not respond to if planned layoffs happen tonight at midnight. Chief Anthony Batts listed exactly 44 situations that his officers no longer respond to and they include grand theft, burglary, vehicle collision, identity theft and vandalism. He says if you live and Oakland and one of the above happens to you, you need to let police know on-line. Some 80 officers will be let go at midnight if a last-minute deal is not reached. Negotiations...

Oakland laid-off 80 police officers today after negotiations between city officials and union leaders failed on one simple matter: job security. The police union demanded that the city guarantee that its officers would not be laid off for three years in exchange for giving up some pension benefits that would have eased the city's budget problems. City leaders, however, said it would have been irresponsible of them to agree to protect police jobs for more than one year because the city's budget problems are likely to worsen. The layoffs - which come days after a riot broke out in Oakland...