Friday, February 17, 2006

WZZM 13 Grand Rapids - State trooper force may fall to '60s level
What do we do about this? I know! Let's cut taxes some more!

Because of cutbacks and attrition, the number of Michigan State Police patrol officers could fall below 1,000 next year for the first time since the 1960s, a union president warned.

In her fiscal 2007 budget plan, Gov. Jennifer Granholm did not propose adding more recruits to the force, which now has about 1,050 troopers and sergeants who patrol Michigan. There were 1,033 in 1970.

Matt Wesaw, president of the Michigan State Police Troopers Association, said without reinforcements, trooper levels could dip below 1,000 by the time the next budget year ends on Sept. 30, 2007.

State Sen. Cameron Brown, R-Sturgis, who oversees the state police budget in the Senate, said securing the estimated $10 million to train the next class of recruits will be difficult given the competition for scarce funds - and that concerns him.

"There are some very logical assumptions that this low level doesn't adequately meet the public-safety demands of the 21st century," he told Booth Newspapers.

Let's cut funding down to nothing and then bitch when government isn't effective!

Seriously, how hard is it to figure this out?