Tulsa World: Cuts hurt law enforcers

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Cuts hurt law enforcers
Furloughs are in place for some prosecutor offices.

By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau
Published: 11/22/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009 4:51 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY — Budget cuts are proving particularly troubling for prosecutors and others who enforce state laws.

"We are on the verge of trying to identify classes of cases we simply won't handle," said Mark Gibson, the district attorney for Kay and Noble counties. "We are already short-staffed, even before the budget cuts started."

In the wake of declining state revenues, state agencies have been told to cut their budgets by 5 percent for the rest of the fiscal year, with steeper cuts possible. Lawmakers are considering a special session on the budget crunch before the regular session starts in February.

Prosecutors once relied heavily on revenue generated by going after those who wrote hot checks.

But those funds are dwindling as more and more people rely on debit cards and technology to verify that an account has the funds to cover a purchase, prosecutors say.

"My best hope is we will be able to cross the finish line hopefully without a furlough in (fiscal year) 2010," Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said.

Fiscal year 2010 ends June 30.

Harris said he meets regularly with his human resource and finance directors to work on furlough plans in case things get worse. But he he doesn't believe that a furlough is the best idea because work still has to get done, he said.

Eddie Wyant, the district attorney for Ottawa and Delaware counties, said his office would begin furloughing all of its 25 employees starting Jan. 1. The furloughs will be one day a month for 18 months, he said.

"We are asking the judges to hopefully make the dockets a little lighter on Fridays," he said.

Projections are that the situation will get worse, and he wants to be proactive, he said.

"What I wanted to do is take the action now and spread it out over the next 18 months, and hopefully that will soften the blow for my staff so we don't have to wait down the road and then take much more drastic measures," he said.

Jeff Smith, the district attorney for LeFlore and Latimer counties, said if cuts are doled out in the next fiscal year, it will severely damage the services his office can provide. "It may mean personnel cuts, laying off people or furloughs," he said.

Smith's staff of 16 is the smallest among the state's 27 district attorney offices, he said.

"We have more than we can say grace over in terms of cases to prosecute, investigations and victims' services to render," he said.

Oklahomans also will see fewer Highway Patrol troopers and might have to wait longer to renew a driver's license, said Kevin Ward, the commissioner for public safety.

Ward's department has a hiring freeze and plans a furlough day at the end of the fiscal year, he said.

Troopers will be spread thinner and will have less time for enforcement, he said.

Barbara Hoberock (405) 528-2465
barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau

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	Report Comment fld11, (11/22/2009 8:47:39 AM) This state has gotten too big for it's intended purpose. Cuts are welcomed, while the level of so called services will remain the same - poor.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/22/2009 11:23:59 AM) Gentlemen, start your engines. Less OHP next year.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/22/2009 2:44:55 PM) When we lose law enforcement capability we come closer to a world we don't want to know.
	Report Comment wk, (11/22/2009 6:59:19 PM) Future - I don't know about that. All this war on drugs is a joke. Legalize, register and tax is the better solution, particularly as relates to marijuana. Can you believe we actually spend state resources to prosecute people who possess marijuana? I understand its the law but what a waste. 100 years from now, people will read history books and completely laugh about the "war on drugs" and how futile the efforts were.
	Report Comment oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (11/22/2009 8:42:24 PM) Oh, the LE agencies are going to use the road block checks as a Major source of income, OKC county is already hard at it.Remember they have to answer to the insurance companies that get a free pass here in Oklahoma.
	Report Comment Elusive, Owasso (11/23/2009 12:45:14 AM) This will mean longer wait times on cases filed. I hope it does not mean criminals are going to slip through the cracks.

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