Phoenix Losing Many Police Officers Due to Budget Deficit

The city of Phoenix has a $270 million budget deficit and they are not filling vacant police officer openings to make up for it. According to the Arizona Republic, there are 250 vacant positions that will not be filled any time in the near future as the city tries to recover from this huge shortcoming.

So, what does this mean for the citizens and the legal community? Well it could mean an increase in Arizona crime. While that is highly possible, the city is being cautious that the cuts affect the community in the smallest way possible, like reducing the amount of time police helicopters are in use.

The cuts will also affect the Fire Department and the city Law Department where 28 positions will be eliminated including some City Attorney positions. To an already overwhelmed legal system this means more delays and busier court rooms.

Cases already seem to take an eternity to travel through the criminal court system. That is the nature of the beast. Additional delays will be a headache for everyone involved, from the judge who wants to clear cases from his calendar to defendants waiting in jail for their court dates.

With the economy soured, cities across the nation have to make cuts in places they would rather not. Phoenix’s budget deficit is average and the cuts being made are quite small compared to those in some other communities.

When facing charges and waiting for court dates, stress can mount and so can the fear of the unknown. If you or a loved one are waiting for a criminal case to be heard and you are looking for an attorney that can assist you during this lengthy process, call us to see how we can help.

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