It looks like the Detroit News reporter Tim Martin is finally catching on. In his May 30, 2009 article “Fewer Police Fewer Arrests,” he suggests that the budget cuts suggested by Governor Granholm, including a 10 percent reduction of the State Police force, will lead to fewer drunk driving arrests. We wrote about this on May 5, 2009 when we wrote that “Granholm’s Budget Means Fewer Drunk Driving Arrests.” This lead us to wonder if Mr. Martin reads our blog, does not credit me in his article?
According to Martin “[M]ore motorists could get away with driving drunk and speeding if Michigan follows through on plans to cut back patrols and lay off 100 state troopers this summer.”
Martin also writes “[T]he reductions could be as severe as those put in place for a five-month stretch in 2007, when Michigan State Police troopers were ordered to save money by driving nearly 1 million fewer patrol miles than during the same time in 2006. Troopers arrested 746 fewer drunk drivers, a 23 percent drop, according to state police statistics.”
There is really no doubt that the economy and budget cuts are hitting everyone – even the police. There have been articles in many other states making the same suggestion, which is that budget cuts will reduce in fewer patrols and fewer arrests. Here are some examples:
- Police Chief Warns of Deep Cuts
- Police Officers Saved by Stimulus May Still Lose Jobs
- Toledo Police Layoffs Leading to Gun Buying
Time will tell if these prognostications are correct.
