New London — The City Council has scheduled an Aug. 10 referendum to allow voters to determine the fate of a controversial police staffing ordinance.
The council repealed the 80-officer ordinance in March, calling the number arbitrary and not supported by any recent studies on city policing. The council’s repeal led to a petition drive and collection of enough signatures to force the council to either rescind its vote or schedule a referendum.
A previous council had passed the 80-officer ordinance in 2014 during a time when there was a drop in the number of officers and low morale at the police department in part because of a threat of layoffs. There were 65 officers at the time the ordinance was passed and the 80-officer goal was never reached. The department had 73 officers as of last month.