A rise in crime on Binghamton’s west side has had the city looking for alternative ways to police the area. Recently, a decision was made to hire retired police officers to tackle the job and now it appears that the project is starting to move in the right direction. The last step is figuring out funding, something police and the city council continue to work together on. City officials say part of the need stems from the fact that a number of police officers will soon be retiring and the large number of cadets at the police academy cannot come on board until late fall.
