The Maryland State Fraternal Order of Police threw its support behind November's controversial slots referendum on Tuesday.

"We need to pass the slots referendum - to invest in Maryland's schools and prevent local cuts that would harm public safety," Rodney Bartlett, the organization's president, said in a statement. "If we don't, the social costs of cutting education and public safety would badly damage our state.  And in these tough times, like most Marylanders, our members can't afford tax increases - which some slots opponents have proposed."

Voters will decide in November if the state constitution should be amended to allow up to 15,000 slot machines at five different locations across the state. Bartlett said contrary to what some may suggest, slots do not cause increased crime.

"Police officers stick to the facts. We've personally visited our neighboring states to do firsthand research into this issue. And the truth is pretty straightforward - crime has not gone up," added Bartlett.

Question 2 has become one of the most heated issues in the state. Proponents argue the slots will provide necessary funding for the state's education infrastructure and will help close the budget deficit. Opponents believe the revenue projections are overly optimistic, the ballot's language is misleading and the problems associated with gambling far outweigh the benefits.