Missouri lawmakers are calling for a review of the state's Water Patrol Division after a man drowned this year while in trooper custody.
State House Speaker Tim Jones announced Tuesday that an eight-member committee of representatives will review management, trooper training and a 2011 merger between the highway and water patrols.
The review follows the death of a 20-year-old handcuffed man who drowned May 31 in the Lake of the Ozarks. A Highway Patrol trooper had arrested him for drunken boating and was bringing him to shore when the man went into the water.
Lawmakers now question whether the merger overwhelmed troopers and saved the state money.
"As someone who grew up on the lake and has many good friends who have served with the Water Patrol, I know how hard these men and women work to keep us safe while we're on the water," state Rep. Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark, said in a news release. "But my fear is that we have made their jobs far more difficult as a result of a merger that we're not even sure has resulted in significant savings for Missouri taxpayers. That is why we need to take a detailed look to see if this really is in the best interest of the hundreds of thousands of Missourians who spend time on our lakes and rivers each year."
Gov. Jay Nixon initially sought to combine the departments to save the state an anticipated $3 million a year. The legislation passed despite concerns from water patrol officials who warned lawmakers that it could hurt services.
Prosecutors did not press criminal charges against Trooper Anthony Piercy in relation to Brandon Ellingson's death, but The Kansas City Star reported that the trooper testified that he did not have proper training to handle that situation on a lake. Ellingson was wearing a life vest with arm holes that could not be fastened on a person wearing handcuffs, and the vest slipped off.
An audit conducted several months after the 2011 merger found that it appeared to cost the state an additional $900,000 that year because of increased retirement and health care contributions. Public safety officials said at that time that the full savings had not yet been captured and that the merger also saved money in reduced overtime.