EAST ST. LOUIS • The police union said Sunday it would return to the bargaining table this week after losing nearly one-third of its officers in a layoff of dozens of employees of this beleaguered city.

The firefighters union said it would meet with the city but already had made enough concessions and had sought a federal arbitrator's help.

Layoffs of 37 employees, including 19 of the city's 62 police officers, 11 firefighters, four public works employees and three administrators, took effect Sunday. Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. blamed the layoffs on a sagging economy and declining revenue at the Casino Queen.

Parks said Sunday that the city planned to meet with the police union Tuesday evening and had invited firefighters to a meeting Wednesday morning. He said he also is planning a meeting Tuesday with the city's religious leaders to discuss strategies for fighting crime.

"We're managing our situation as well as can be managed," Parks said.

East St. Louis police Officer Keith Randolph, the union's vice president, blamed the city's budget crisis on what he called "financial mismanagement" and said the union had been willing to consider furloughs instead of layoffs.

Randolph said he is optimistic about meeting with city officials but added, "There should be concessions made on both sides."

On Sunday, Police Chief Lenzie Stewart said he was relieved about a relatively slow day on the streets.

"The weekend has been quiet, thank God," he said. "We're praying it stays that way."

Stewart said he reassigned detectives and task force members to patrol, putting six officers on Sunday's overnight shift after layoffs took effect at midnight.

Meanwhile, East St. Louis firefighters are reluctant to negotiate, said fire Capt. Don Berry, union president. He said firefighters have seen their wages frozen for three years, were getting straight time instead of overtime and had taken furloughs.

"They want to make up their deficit on the backs of the people that protect this city," said Berry. "I just pray that nobody gets seriously hurt or killed."

Some East St. Louis residents echoed Berry's sentiment Sunday.

Mashonda Graham, 33, a mother of three, said she was worried the layoffs would lead people to resort to violence to protect themselves.

"What are we going to do if the police don't show up?" Graham said. "They can't be everywhere at once. Who is going to protect us?"

Others, including the Rev. Christ'l Lawrence of the All Nations Deliverance Ministries on Summit Avenue, said they still feel safe even with a smaller police presence.

"We're concerned about it, but we feel safe," Lawrence said. "I think we all have a responsibility to our community. We pray that they get their jobs back, though."