‘Running with 2 officers': Conneaut Police struggle with staffing crisis amid city's financial woes

CONNEAUT, Ohio (WOIO) - The Conneaut Police Department say they finally have applicants to end a critical staffing shortage, but union leaders say the city simply cannot afford to hire them A letter obtained by 19 News revealed that the city of Conneaut's General Fund was more than $160,000 in the negative in July. While city officials confirmed the deficit had dropped to $22,000 as of August, the financial strain has forced municipal hiring to an absolute standstill for all city departments. Wade Stitt, the Union President for Conneaut Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 51, said the department has struggled to meet its standard 19-man roster for the past two years. Currently, the police department is short three patrol officers and one detective. 'We had applicants on file that wanted to work here and were good quality applicants,' Stitt said. 'We had to stop the hiring process because of the city's financial situation.' The shortage means the department is often stretched thin, leaving just a couple of officers to patrol a massive territory. 'Quite a bit of the time we are running with 2 officers for almost 27 square miles,' Stitt explained, adding that the lack of personnel creates significant safety concerns for both the community and the officers on duty. To manage the heavy workload, officers are forced to handle certain non-emergency calls over the phone instead of responding in person. 'That could be a theft that occurred an hour ago and the suspect is not there, or a multitude of different calls,' Stitt said. Conneaut City Manager Nicholas Sanford confirmed there is currently no end date for the hiring freeze but emphasized that leadership wants it to be as temporary as possible. To address the deficit, the city is implementing immediate measures, including the hiring freeze and restricting purchases to essential items only. Long-term solutions under consideration include implementing a proposed traffic enforcement program, rolling out new recommendations for water and wastewater utilities, and reducing the 100% income tax withholding credit for residents. When asked what this financial situation means for the future of Conneaut heading into 2027, Sanford noted that the outcome remains uncertain. 'It depends,' Sanford said. 'The city of Conneaut looks to indicators such as tax collections and vitality of our businesses against our expenses.' Sanford added that he is hoping the numbers will ultimately line up in the city's favor.