Mayor Bob Buckhorn won final Tampa City Council approval on Sept. 21, 2011, for a 2011-12 fiscal year budget that does not include any reduction in the number of officers at the Tampa Police Department.

The department has 975 authorized positions for sworn officers. During his campaign for mayor, Buckhorn was asked whether he would consider reducing the number of police officers through attrition or layoffs. He said no.

"The city of Tampa has coverage of 3 officers per thousand citizens, which is adequate,” he said. "I think one of the reasons we have (been) successful at reducing crime is because of the number of officers we have patrolling the streets."

While his budget eliminates 21 vacant positions in other city departments, none of those are in the Police Department.

The City Council approved the budget by a vote of 6-0 (Council Chairman Charlie Miranda was absent).

Buckhorn promised not to cut the police force, and his first budget as mayor maintains the department at its current size even as other departments are reduced.

We rate this as a Promise Kept.