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Missouri considering cuts to water patrol

On the Net:
Missouri State Water Patrol at www.mswp.dps.mo.gov

By way of The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:32 AM CDT
The Missouri Department of Public Safety is considering more than $450,000 in cuts to the Missouri State Water Patrol, including layoffs at the Lake of the Ozarks.

The department proposed the cuts after Gov. Jay Nixon's call to shave $60 million in spending throughout state government.

The public safety department is considering getting rid of seven of the patrol's 96 officers. The proposed cuts include laying off two officers at the Lake of the Ozarks.

But a spokesperson from the department says the water patrol could relocate officers or redraw patrol zones. So, the plan doesn't necessarily mean fewer officers will police the area.

Information from: KOLR-TV, http://ozarksfirst.com

On the Net:

Missouri State Water Patrol at www.mswp.dps.mo.gov



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Travelin_Rose wrote on Jul 31, 2009 8:58 AM:

" If the state is looking to curtail drunk boating, this is not a good idea. Surely they could find $450,000 cut somewhere else. Did the lobbyists get this accomplished? "

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rojo wrote on Jul 29, 2009 4:24 PM:

" Corrections officers are certified when they successfully complete their academy and probationary period. Their training has come a long way. Unfortunately, the pay has not been commensurate with duties and training.

As for the water patrol - people have absolutely no concept of some of the hazardous assignments the WP officers routinely are tasked with. Diving in zero-visibility water in the Missouri River, dragging for drowned persons, dealing with boatloads of drunks, etc .etc.

When a WP officer gets a call in the winter, ice or no, regardless of temp, wind, or other conditions, they are out there. A great bunch of cops. "

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boscoe wrote on Jul 28, 2009 3:31 PM:

" Amen, Miss Honeybee.

I was shocked to learn that Missouri's correction officers, er PRISON GUARDS do not even have to have any POST certification or law enforcement credentials at all! The people who put their lives in harm's way to protect us from the most violent offenders do not need any certification?

What's wrong with this state? Balance the budget by firing a bunch of highly-trained patrolpersons instead of bureacrats? Pay prison guards peanuts and not train them or make them earn basic law enforcement/POST certification? "

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misshoneybee wrote on Jul 28, 2009 1:55 PM:

" MSHP isn't the only agency that deserves top knotch training--Water Patrol, Capital Police and DOC officers deserve the same high quality training. HP isn't the only branch of state law enforcement that deals with criminals. And the last three mentioned deserve to make nearly as much money as HP. And anyone that thinks different needs to be on lock down with convicted felons and be outnumbered 50 or 75 to 1. I'm just sayin'..... "

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mommyof2 wrote on Jul 28, 2009 7:44 AM:

" Maybaby - I have taken many classes at the Highway Patrol Academy and I'll be the first to say the training was absolutely top knotch! Maybe that's why you are jealous of your sibling. Don't forget... if they weren't trained properly, fingers would point at THEM, not you. Pay them that much, I don't care... as long as the training is quality, which it is. "

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AMAZED wrote on Jul 27, 2009 1:33 PM:

" I'd take a WP over a Trooper any day. WP has always been underfunded compared to the blue boys. "

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boxergal wrote on Jul 22, 2009 6:21 PM:

" PS - The legislature could give a hoot about the media. "

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boxergal wrote on Jul 22, 2009 6:20 PM:

" Pages do NOT get paid. And Legislators each have their own budget they spend off of. And like it was said, Conservation is its on entity. "

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Factsnodrama wrote on Jul 22, 2009 5:59 PM:

" Attrition cuts now, less devastating cuts later, that would, and is smart. With the exception of his staff and spending, I think Nixon has the right idea, look now, less pain later, look at California, or NY, or MA (yeah all liberal bastions) but a good heads up to the possibilities of the next 2-5 years. Blunt should get some credit too, he made tough fiscal decisions, and left a surplus. None of it popular, but very necessary, even more obvious today, looking back. "

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@da'lake wrote on Jul 22, 2009 7:46 AM:

" Oh...and it (the 1/8 cent sales tax financing) was approved by the people as a constitutional measure if I remember correctly. So you cannot simply make cuts to Conservation and take over that 1/8 cent sales tax. It is in place specifically for Conservation. "

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@da'lake wrote on Jul 22, 2009 7:44 AM:

" Boscoe - Dept. of Conservation is funded by a 1/8 cent sales tax and has it's own budget. For the most part it is not funded by general revenue or controlled by the legislature's budget decisions. "

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Boscoe wrote on Jul 21, 2009 8:39 PM:

" Make some cuts at the fat Dept of Conservation or Dept of Agriculture instead. Those departments are swimming in federal and state dollars.

Cutting patrol officers is the most stupid thing that they could do.

State government is full of waste. Cut the printshops at both the senate and house and make them use OA printshop. Cut the secretaries, aides, and pages in the legislature. Cut all the jobs in the governors office that he stole from other agencies. He's got 10-15 extra jobs from other agencies at last count.

Why doesn't the media blow this waste and stupidity wide open? "

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Boscoe wrote on Jul 21, 2009 8:34 PM:

" Stupidest thing I have heard in a long time. State government is full of deadwood bureaucrats but yet they want to cut patrol officers that we have invested hundreds of thousands of state tax dollars into each one to train and equip them? Stupid stupid stupid.

Crime isn't decreasing and the turnover of these officers means they will just have to run more through the academy next month.

Cut some layers of management out of the state agencies. Cut the deadwood clerical people and automate their jobs.

Governor, I am ashamed. "

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factsnodrama wrote on Jul 21, 2009 6:04 PM:

" Patrol is more than fairly compensated. Better to cut now (and that's everywhere) than to have a budget crisis next spring that is out of control. We've all lost positions already, and raises, it's just the times we are in. The Gov could certainly lead by example and trim his offices expences, and staff saleries (which were bumped up at other dept's expenses) taking travel expenses out of his own budget would be nice also..ahem, that was also a burden on other dept's. Man this economy bites. "

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misshoneybee wrote on Jul 21, 2009 4:17 PM:

" Maybaby--I'm sure the average trooper on the road doesn't make that much but I'm sure you wouldn't want your sibling to lose his/her job. Would he/she be willing to take a pay cut to help their dept. help the state with the cuts that are needed? Most all state agencies have positions with pretty good salaries but these same agencies can afford to trim the fat. Especially Office of Administration--they should be the first on the cutting block. "

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maybaby wrote on Jul 21, 2009 3:43 PM:

" How can you say they are all underpaid? My oldest sibling works for the MSHP and makes over $80K, without working the dangerous roads, has an office job at the academy, beaucoup comp time built up..................just saying, pretty cush job if u ask me "

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misshoneybee wrote on Jul 21, 2009 3:09 PM:

" Cuts can NOT be make at the Department of Public Safety because WP falls under that Dept!!! Water Patrol on the water is the equivalent to HP on the highway. HP, WP and CP are all in the Department of Public Safety. DOC has it's own dept. but they all are open 24/7 and work to keep crime and criminals in check--these are depts. that do NOT need cuts, nor do they need the training time cut and all four agency employees need to be paid more--They are all grossly underpaid, as all state workers are. But I still believe that the Office of Administration could spare a few cuts. They OofA seem to be pretty fat--Of course, I have-been-wrong-before;) "

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@da'lake wrote on Jul 21, 2009 2:28 PM:

" I suspect this is politically posturing and a bluff on the part of DPS. Why cut 7% of the WP officers when cuts could be made across the board in all departments and areas? IMO this is simply a scare tactic by DPS hoping the gov. will back off the cuts. "

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mainermike wrote on Jul 21, 2009 2:15 PM:

" AS I SEE IT, by Mainer Mike Brown. ----

The state has to make cuts somewhere. "

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willows wrote on Jul 21, 2009 1:54 PM:

" why not make cuts at the governors office or at dept of public safety before making cuts at the water patrol???? lake of the ozarks is know nationally as the party lake and the water patrol can't handle the volume of boaters on the lake now but with a cut of two officers it will make the job even worse...missouri needs safe lakes and rivers so families can enjoy the beauty of missouri waterways but cutting the water patrol is the wrong thing to do...at last count the water patrol had less than 100 officers and this counts personnel at their headquarters bldg so how can they keep the waterways safe for you and i when the state gov't wants to make these cuts???? "

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misshoneybee wrote on Jul 21, 2009 12:38 PM:

" How come they can't cut some jobs from the Office of Administration? I am sure that they have SOME important jobs but I would think that a few of those cut or minimized to keep the Water Patrol in full force. Just an OPINION, y'all. "

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Mid-MO wrote on Jul 21, 2009 10:14 AM:

" As long as Mr. Nixon gets trips to the Middle East to help with troop morale, who cares if there are less Water Patrol to keep our waterways safe? I'm sorry, but at some point, the governor needs to tighten his own belt. "

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boxergal wrote on Jul 21, 2009 9:09 AM:

" Thats been going on for quite a while. At least at the lake you can kind of get away from it. I don't think they would do anything anyway, as the lake party cove pretty much is wild all of the time. I am upset over this cut. "

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wonderfulworld wrote on Jul 21, 2009 8:58 AM:

" where's the water patrol on the osage river? have you been to the sandbar lately? it's turned in to party cove on the river. it's shameful - can't even feel comfortable bringing children there any longer - not to mention the loads of people destroying mother nature by littering their trash. "

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