HAMILTON — City leaders have responded to the police department's cry for new officers — and the head of the police union on Tuesday said officers are grateful even though the department continues to employ fewer officers than needed.

        “We're still understaffed, but it will help us tremendously,” said Officer Brian Robinson, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 38, responding to news that City Council unanimously agreed to hire four new officers in time to begin training next month.

        “For us, even four officers makes a large difference,” Officer Robinson said. “Hopefully, after the first of the year, we'll be able to hire the other two.”

        The department is currently six officers below its authorized strength of 122, Officer Robinson said. Because of training requirements, the four new officers won't be ready for street duty until next summer.

        Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, there was still no word on whether the city's firefighters could receive the addi tional personnel and equipment they have been seeking. But Officer Robinson said police have offered to allow the fire department to enlist help from a grant-writing officer who has a successful track record.

        The four new police officers will be taken from a waiting list of job candidates who have already undergone background checks, civil service examinations and interviews. They will start more than three months of police academy training Nov. 6 at D. Russel Lee Career Center, then will finish with 13 weeks of training in the field.

        Even if the department reaches authorized strength, that number is low, according to 1999 FBI standards, Officer Robinson said.

        “Our call load that we take per capita actually is equivalent to a city of 100,000 people,” he said, “and we're at 62,000.” That level of calls generally requires about 150 officers, he said.

        Still, he said he's happy that City Council reached a compromise with police “and responded to a lot of concerns for the needs of the citizens.”

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