Savannah leaders bring back program to help community policing
Savannah leaders bring back program to help community policing By Bria Bolden | February 3, 2021 at 9:53 PM EST - Updated February 3 at 11:45 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - With an increase in homicides in Savannah last year, city leaders are looking for ways to stop gun violence.
The Savannah Impact Program (SIP) is back. It’s designed to reach out to the youth, re-engage people on probation with the community and prevent them from returning to a life of crime.
You may remember the city stopped funding the Savannah Impact Program in 2015. But it, along with others, were approved by city council in the 2021 budget last December.
Savannah City Council approved a 2021 budget on Friday that maintains funding for the Savannah Police Department and does not require layoffs or furloughs of city employees.
Council voted in favor of the $414.5 million budget proposal by a 7-2 margin, with Alderwomen Alicia Blakely and Kesha Gibson-Carter dissenting.
The vote caps a long and intense budget approval process. Council held two workshops as well as a two-day budget retreat in November. The final budget hearing was held Friday ahead of the vote.
Several residents expressed concerns Friday over the police department s budget. They voiced a desire for the city to cut funding to police and use those savings for community services.
Savannah City Council discusses proposed 2021 budget wtoc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wtoc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.