Judge Won't Stop Pay Cuts For Detroit Police

DETROIT (WWJ) - An appeal is planned as Wayne County judge refuses to step in and stop pay cuts for Detroit police officers who began working 12-hour shifts this week.

Detroit Police Officers Association members and their attorney, Donato Iorio, voiced disappointments and concern following Wayne County Judge Kathleen McDonald's refusal to grant their request for a stay of her previous order, which the union says negatively affects police officers.

"The irreparable harm that is occurring as a result of this court's order on August 30 is only deepening and intensifying. Act 312 has been disemboweled; it has been rendered ineffectual," Iorio told reporters Tuesday. "That has led to further officer morale plummeting, which impacts performance which has impacted the the ability of delivering police services to be effectively delivered."

Iorio noted a higher than usual number of murders in Detroit in recent weeks.

"Blood is being shed in the city streets," Iorio said. "Officers are overworked, overwhelmed and to think that they're going to be able to continue to work under oppressive conditions is just fantasy."

DPOA president Joe Duncan said McDonald's ruling won't end their fight.

"We wanted a stay (of the order) to keep everything status quo while we take it to the appellant court," Duncan said. "No matter what we do it seems, legally, no matter what we seem to be blocked by a higher authority and it's not my God, it's somebody else.

"We've done everything we can legally, but the bottom like is we're gonna get justice," he said.