DETROIT – It was an unpleasant and uncomfortable greeting Thursday night for Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.
Bing and members of his administration were at a church on the city's east side to address community concerns. However, Detroit police officers filled up most of the church seats, and things turned ugly, quickly.
"You lie. You lie," the crowd yelled.
One officer begged the question, "How can you expect for these officers to have your back, when you don't have their's?" Applause followed.
Under Detroit's consent agreement with the state of Michigan, Detroit police officers have seen their workload increase and their paychecks cut by 10 percent. They are fighting the mayor for compromise.
"We need more cars on the streets," one protestor said. "You're taking away ... you took everything."
The cuts the officers are enduring were made to help lift the city of Detroit out of a crippling financial crisis.
"I love this city and you are destroying it. Why don't you do us a favor and leave."
Bing said there was no way around the public safety cuts, but the union isn't buying it.