Anthony Police Department Pushes for Collective Bargaining

The Anthony Police Department is pushing for collective bargaining rights, and has led a fallout with city council.

An attorney representing the police officers said they submitted all the proper paperwork in time to put it on the may ballot, but said the city never did it.
The attorney representing the police department, Felix Valenzuela, filed a lawsuit against Anthony for allegedly breaking the law. And now a more costly special election is set for September.

This will give Anthony residents a chance to vote about whether the police department will be able to join a collective bargaining agreement.

“We want to make sure the officers have a say at table and can engage in the process,” Valenzuela said.

But some Anthony residents gave mixed reactions.

“The funding is there and the people need the police department,” one resident said. “They need to be able to expand out and grow with the city and the town. Because the town is growing.”

But another resident was not as supportive.

“They are always fighting for any little tiny thing, and you know, its not nice,” another resident said. “My opinion is they have to do something else. They have to bring better people here.”

Valenzuela also said the city has threatened to cut police positions to pay for the election, because they are short on funds. The election is set to take place on September, 15.