Trenton bracing for deep police layoffs

Nearly one-third of the police force in New Jersey’s state capital is expecting to be laid off Friday.

It’s another sign of hard economic times taking a toll on city governments.

Over the past year, Newark, Camden and Atlantic City have slashed their police forces because of budget cuts. The cuts have not all proven to be permanent. Many officers have returned to duty.

In Trenton, about 108 of the city’s 350-member police force will be laid off. Police officials say that 18 of them are expected to be brought back next month with the help of a federal grant.

The president of the local police officers’ union says those who lose their jobs plan to lay their boots near police headquarters on Friday.