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Legislative Watch
LEGISLATIVE

Arizona

10/10/05-Upset she wasn’t consulted, Gov. Janet Napolitano ordered the Arizona Department of Public Safety to cancel instruction that officers drive fewer miles because of high fuel prices.
DPS Director Roger Vanderpool implemented policy late last month that all officers cut back on fuel consumption by 10 percent to help reduce a projected shortfall of more than $2.3 million, The Associated Press reported.
Troopers were directed to write reports while on the road instead of going back to their offices. They also were told to increase use of radar guns to nab speeders.
Officers in metropolitan areas were instructed to stay off the road during rush hours and wait to respond to calls. Patrols in rural parts of Arizona were told to focus their efforts in areas with high accident rates and driving under the influence cases and otherwise only respond to calls.
Instead, last week Napolitano ordered Vanderpool in a memo to rescind the order and “reprioritize” the money in the department’s budget to compensate for the sharp rise in fuel expenses.
“Reduction of Highway Patrol presence should always be a last resort, and should not be undertaken without an exhaustive review, in consultation with the Governor’s office, of all available alternatives,” Napolitano told The AP.
Vanderpool’s order and Napolitano’s memo each mentioned the possibility of seeking a midyear budget increase for the Highway Patrol from the state Legislature.

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