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Katz pledges to add 58 police officers

Mayor Sam Katz prepares to make his first major announcement of the 2010 civic election in Central Park.

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Mayor Sam Katz prepares to make his first major announcement of the 2010 civic election in Central Park. (WAYNE.GLOWACKI@FREEPRESS.MB.CA )

WINNIPEG--Mayor Sam Katz kicked off his third bid for the city's top job with a pledge to combat crime with 58 new police officers and a better-staffed 911 dispatch centre.

Many of those officers will staff a new anti-gang unit modelled on the successful anti-car theft unit. And high-crime neighbourhoods  will get another 20 beat cops on foot patrol.

The 911 centre, which a new but unreleased study says is dangerously understaffed, will get 19 new dispatchers.

The officers alone will cost an additional $4 million a year - a significant amount for a city budget that's already threadbare.

Katz wasn't clear where the cash would come from, saying there an "many avenues" within city revenues as well as some federal funding.

History

Updated on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 11:22 AM CDT:
Updates with new information

Updated on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 12:44 PM CDT:
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