She says she doesn't want to defund the police, but is that really the case?

Palana Hunt-Hawkins and her deleted Tweet of May 25 (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Mayoral candidate Palana Hunt-Hawkins told The Rochester Voice on Wednesday that she has no interest in cutting funds from the Rochester Police Department, but during a May City Council meeting Hunt-Hawkins, whose last name was Belken at the time, proposed defunding two full-time patrol officers from their budget.

"Over the last two years the police budget has increased by almost 23 percent, and crime is still occurring," she said at the May 25 meeting. "We could put more money in to the police department, and it's not going to stop crime," adding, "A lot of our crimes here in Rochester are not violent."

Funding the two positions for five years would cost one million dollars "and I don't thing the city would be one million dollars better for it," she added.

City Councilor Chris Rice, who works as a police dispatcher, responded that he felt the two officers were necessary and would be a great addition to a police department that has been woefully understaffed for years and seen more than its share of recent retirements.

Prior to the vote Hunt-Hawkins accused Rochester Police of harassing the homeless, "taking their stuff and cutting up their tents," which prompted former mayor Caroline McCarley to respond.

"I think our police officers do an excellent job with all they are asked to do, and I will not be supporting this proposal," McCarley said.

The motion failed with Hunt-Hawkins casting the lone vote to defund the two positions.

Asked to comment on her May 25 vote, Hunt-Hawkins recently told The Voice, "The motion I made on May 25th was to reallocate the use of the funding, not the recipient of the funding," however during the meeting "reallocation" of funds is never mentioned.

That same night she posted a Tweet where she touted she was the only City Councilor who voted to remove the two positions, a Tweet that has since been deleted.

One of her opponents for mayor, Paul Callaghan, said defunding police puts the pubic at risk and deleting the Tweet was deceitful.

"I think its dangerous to defund the police," Callaghan said today. "And I don't think she was being straight with the voters when she deleted the post when she began her run for mayor."

Callaghan also said he was horrified by her unsubstantiated attack on Rochester Police.

"I didn't appreciate her attacking the police department without evidence when she said they damaged property of the homeless," he added.

Mayoral candidate Cassi Borne was not immediately available for comment.

To view Hunt-Hawkins proposal to defund police go to the 53-minute mark of the May 25 meeting. Click here to view.