(The Center Square) – The Arizona Department of Public Safety had its headcount cap raised by 319 full-time employees on Friday, the governor’s office confirmed on Monday.
Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office instituted a headcount cap on state agencies last week and is having the entities do a “budgetary savings exercise” to figure out how to navigate the state’s projected deficit of $1.3 billion, according to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The Center Square reported that the goal is to figure out $1.2 billion in savings.
The Arizona State Troopers Association hinted they were granted leeway in a post on Saturday.
“DPS was granted an exemption from the hiring freeze. We will still be able to hire new employees. We thank Governor Hobbs and her staff for working with DPS to grant this exemption,” the association tweeted. “This commitment to public safety is very much needed during these tough times.”
However, the governor’s office said that this is not necessarily a freeze.
“It’s a cap on number of FTEs in an agency, not a hiring freeze,” a spokesman for Hobbs said in a message.
The office said that the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry also received a headcount cap increase.
Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, wrote a letter to Hobbs on Friday requesting that DPS and the Department of Child Safety be granted leniency in the move.
“These vacancies present a challenge that we must address, or we risk the safety of the public by preventing the Department from filling these much-needed roles,” Cook wrote regarding DPS. “In total the Department is experiencing a shortage of 500 personnel that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Despite a 15% raise in 2022, the Department’s salaries still remain below market competitors. This is not the time to restrict the Department’s ability to be competitive at such a critical time for our law enforcement officers.”
“I understand that we will be forced to make hard choices regarding the budget situation, but there are some areas where we must be steadfast in our support, so I respectfully ask that you reconsider your decision for the safety of our great citizens,” Cook added.
In terms of DCS, the spokesman for Hobbs said “DCS is at 92% field staff capacity already, higher than it traditionally has been.”
Cook referred to the development with DPS as “good news.”
“I’m extremely grateful the governor received, reviewed and took necessary action.”
Budget negotiations are ongoing between Republican legislative leadership and members of the governor’s staff, and the budget itself has a June 30 deadline to pass both chambers and get Hobbs’ signature.
