Highway Patrol Battles Against Proposed Legislation

The Arizona Highway Patrol Association (AHPA) has launched a publicity and lobbying campaign against sweeping legislation that would change the state’s personnel rules to be more like the private sector, including reclassifying AHP dispatchers as at-will employees. House Bill 2571 is being promoted as a way to simplify nine separate personnel systems within state government, restructure the grievance and appeal system, and give managers more authority to terminate poor performance employees. However, in its “We Are DPS” campaign, the AHPA points out that law enforcement is a “diverse, specialized field and should not be generalized with other state departments.” In turn, civilians are a cost-saving resource for law enforcement and are asked to perform some of the same duties as our sworn officers, the association says. “DPS civilians have promised their integrity to Arizona citizens,” the group says, and must pass the same criminal background checks, polygraphs and drug testing as officers before being hired. The AHPA says that state government should protect the integrity of police services. “ONE merit system council provides ONE standard of service in a specialized industry. The public should always trust police work,” the group says. Watch a Arizona House committee meeting video on the bill, with testimony against the bill from 23-year veteran dispatch supervisor Patty Simpson. Read the AHPA Web page on the issue and download (pdf) their brochure on the issue.