Traffic deaths are on the rise here in Lexington, according to new statistics and the Fraternal Order of Police is blaming the city's elected officials.
The FOP reports that the number of fatal crashes has increased 29% from 2010 to 2011.
The FOP attributes it to the decrease in the number of officers on the streets which was brought on by the city's budget problems.
"It's quite a dramatic increase. Our position on it, the reason we think this happened is because the lack of man power within the division of police. We had to transfer several officers out of traffic and put them out on patrol to answer calls," says FOP President Mike Sweeney.
But Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said that public safety is the city's number one priority and pointed out the new recruit class of 25 officers that will take the streets sometime at the end of the year.
