After experiencing a $4 million budget cut last year and a lack of pay raises since 2008, employees of the Arizona Department of Public Safety are going to be at least another $8 million deeper in the hole this year, said Jimmy Chavez, president of the Arizona Highway Patrol Association.
According to information from the association, which represents about 700 sworn and non-sworn DPS employees, the department is not facing any budget cuts this year, but with the costs of health care going up for employees and employers, the $8 million increase for about 900 DPS employees will be significant, Chavez said.
The state Legislature has not appropriated any additional expenses for the DPS budget, and the agency has not seen any hires since it held its last training academy in July 2008, according to Chavez.
In addition to having to foot more out-of-pocket costs and not hiring new officers, DPS staffing levels are down about 200 officers statewide, including about 50 fewer in the Phoenix metropolitan area, according to Chavez.
When $4 million was slashed from the 2010-11 budget, there were 40 civilian jobs and mid-level management jobs eliminated, resulting in 20 layoffs.
“No doubt, our staffing levels are very low and in some rural areas, it’s to a critical point,” Chavez said. “We’re down to bare-bones staffing in some areas. We haven’t been able to replace those who are leaving through attrition.”
The starting annual pay for a DPS patrol officer is $45,000 with the top annual pay going to $60,000.
In the East Valley, there used to be four squads averaging
six to 10 officers on patrol, but now there are three, Chavez said.
“I think in the next year, we’re going to be at a critical level of staffing overall, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better in the near future,” Chavez said.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or msakal@evtrib.com
samkat posted at 3:57 pm on Tue, Jun 21, 2011.
I doubt if you will see our legislators cutting their own budgets.
RationalHuman posted at 4:20 pm on Tue, Jun 21, 2011.
So DPS doesn't have the resources to operate, while the Gilbert Police Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office have the extra money to send armed thugs, a dozen at a time, to harass cancer patients in their homes.
Does anyone else see a problem here?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 4:55 pm on Tue, Jun 21, 2011.
"La ley es la ley" ...and old Spanish dicho says ..."the law is the law". The Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 clearly says that..."Schedule 1 drugs (marijuana) may not be prescribed by a Physician being that they have no acceptable medical use".
Don't blame local Law Enforcement Officers for only ..."DOING THEIR JOB = ENFORCING FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS".
President Barack Hussein Obama can remove "marijuana" as a ..."Schedule 1 Drug"...with a stroke of his pen. Call the White House and ask him to make the...."CHANGE".
RationalHuman posted at 6:09 pm on Tue, Jun 21, 2011.
"Don't blame local Law Enforcement Officers for only ..."DOING THEIR JOB = ENFORCING FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS".
As soon as they start doing that for ALL Federal laws, and not just the ones they cherry-pick, sure! But until then, you're living in a fantasy world.
LOL@"no acceptable medical use"
This same agency also says COCAINE has "acceptable medical uses."
And you're okay with turning off your brain and accepting these lies?
EVEN FUNNIER!