9/29/2009 9:56:00 PM Budget cuts may force DPS layoffs
The Daily Courier
Economic conditions may force the Arizona Department of Public Safety, like other state agencies, to lay off up to 400 officers and civilians to meet the next round of budget cuts set by Gov. Jan Brewer.
Lt. Stephen M. Harrison, DPS public information officer, said Tuesday that until the state Legislature comes back into session in October, all state agencies have been told to prepare for layoffs or job cuts of up to 15 percent.
"We have no idea right now what if any layoffs we will have - from zero to 15 percent," Harrison said. "At this point, we don't intend to lay anyone off."
Until the Legislature is back in session, things will stay the same, he said.
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, October 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Arizona Native
The whole state of Arizona is hurting and it is not going to get any better if we are not smarter with the state's money. I support not laying off any worker no matter what agency or job they work for. For years, the state government has spent, spent and spent more than what they can handle and we all are going to have to pay for it. For those who don't know, DPS accounts for 2% of the state's budget (AGAIN 2%). So, if layoffs occur just means a wait time for an officer to take your collision report or no officer at all. Time for that 60 or 70 year person stuck on the Highway at 12pm to learn how to change his or her tire, because no officer is coming to assist. Oh and by the way more drug cartel activity running through our state because the bad guys know there are less police officers on the roadway. Fun stuff if one of you were in a middle of drug cartel fight on the highway. I know there are other alternatives to balancing the the budget (pay reduction, selling of assests and property,putting the tax increase to the public vote,etc.)
Posted: Thursday, October 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Grundlecat
The protective services - like DPS, Child Protective and Adult Protective Services, should be the very last to get the hatchet, period. Let's not forget the important role played by law enforcement - sure, we could wish for fewer speeding tickets, etc., but when there's an emergency, who's going to help you? Let's not cut off our nose to spite our face here. And you picking at the firefighters - sure hope YOUR house never gets on fire and you never have a car accident or anything. And I'm sure you'll be johnny-on-the-spot with your garden hose if your neighbors have a fire, right?
Posted: Thursday, October 01, 2009
Article comment by:
Prescott Native
Why not lay off after all we have police scanners and 95% of the time when a wreck or something happens in Prescott Chino Dewey ect DPS area they say we dont have anyone in the area so let the sheriff or the police take care of it. All other agencies have budget trouble but they jump in do the job for DPS. Prescott has a dps office but seldom do you see their officers. Now we have the vans for radar that they say does not make any money for the cities or states so why have them besides wasting tax payers money.
Posted: Thursday, October 01, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
It's about time! Selective enforcement does not create respect for the law OR the officers. Can they lay off some of the fire gods and cut their driving around in $500,000+ fire trucks to get (lunch, dinner, snacks, hockey tickets, etc.) too? It wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't become so dictatorial and stayed out of peoples lives a little bit.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Why bother trying to keep anyone safe when no one cares about the 400 that have to be laid off. No one really needs the presence of the police anyways.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Mikey: The company owns the vans, but have license to use the decals and emblems of the agencies they contract with.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Right Wing Conservative
Why don't we tell Brewer to cut ALL services to those not in the US legally and forget about cutting anything from law enforcement or other public safety divisions. Yes, I know that Prescott is a protected sanctuary city so I'll probably get heat from those employers hiring the illegal aliens thus taking work from AMERICANS.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Public Safety Supporter
How sad to have such skewed views. DPS are the ones that manage the roadways. They get the drunks and drug runners off the road. They are the ones that respond when there’s a car accident. Why does everyone see a badge and get so defensive and hateful? Cops are not the enemies and they shouldn’t be treated as such.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
concerned citizen
to resident. cops from twenty years ago did not deal with what todays officer are dealing with. people like you are the ones that will complain the first time a cop doesn't respond fast enough to save your live.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
tired
Sure, lets layoff law enforcement. Now that's a boneheaded move if I ever heard of one! Isn't there anyone in Brewers camp that doesn't have anything to do with public safty that she can cut?!
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
mikey
To no Name Provided. You indicate the Radar Vans are run by a PRIVATE company not DPS. My question is who owns the vehicles, if it is the DPS then their budget is effected.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
An American
its unfortunate but are they not just people who live and work in az. like all of us? the crime rate does go up when so many are out of work, but the overall population should be less with no jobs here. the budget is just a budget, if you have a 20% deficit reduce the spending by 20% through reduced hours or layoffs.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Everybody: The radar vans are run by a separate PRIVATE company, not DPS, so it would not affect DPS' staffing levels. Besides that, the vans are unmanned.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Resident
I see no reason why not.The cops in Arizona twenty years ago did much more with much less and they were actually liked by the public.
Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Everybody has to cut back in tough times
Maybe DPS can lay off some of the people who are manning the ubiquitous radar vans along I17. I just drove over 6000 miles from here to New Hampshire and back and saw only two traffic radar vehicles in the many states through which I traveled. I saw four between Scottsdale and the I17-highway 69 turnoff.
