If you’re a commuter who endured one of the four recent massive traffic back-ups on Valley freeways thanks to serious accidents involving big rig trucks, no doubt you spoke words you’d never say in front of your kids.
The problems didn’t stop there. Traffic flooded the surface streets shutting down cities for hours.
Two of the accidents involved truck drivers the Arizona Republic reported Saturday had a history of “multiple violations.”
Truck enforcement has been a hot topic since Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Bobby Halliday’s links to the trucking industry were exposed during his 2010 State Senate confirmation hearing. After his confirmation, DPS prohibited officers from making “administrative stops” on trucks to check drivers’ log books and look for safety violations. In October, the Phoenix New Times reported “DPS officials took expensive baseball tickets from the trucking association in 2010 and 2011” and an internal investigation “revealed that the practice of DPS supervisors accepting tickets from representatives of the industry they regulated had become routine.”
The policy giving trucking companies a break has reportedly been rescinded, but fatal accidents involving big rigs jumped from five in 2010 to 16 in 2011.
In a November 2012 column — “Has DPS become another failed Arizona agency?” — I wrote that safety checks aren’t the only concerns when it comes to truckers.
Phil Jordan, a retired U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, told me, “Commercial trucks are used extensively to carry drugs and then return the proceeds to Mexico. Arizona’s highways play a major role.”
The ongoing troubles and failures at DPS have forced city police to take on investigating organized crime, running crime labs, collecting and exchanging statewide information on criminals. They’re doing DPS’s job. DPS officers have told me that the Chandler, Mesa and Tucson police departments are now seen as Arizona’s leaders in the use of technology and attacking organized crime, not DPS. Now traffic problems from highways patrolled by DPS are impacting cities.
In an Oct. 7 story in the East Valley Tribune – “Arizona police agencies criticized in Senate” – the DPS Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center was,” for “questionable spending and issuing incorrect information after the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that showed how weak analysis could hinder law enforcement efforts.”
Without a centralized and coordinated effort like was once the case with DPS taking the lead in organized crime investigations, the public suffers and the criminal’s profit. No wonder organized crime loves Arizona.
A long time Arizona sheriff told me he refused an offer from DPS to help his agency with a major investigation due to their organizational ineffectiveness. A senior police command officer who heard the sheriff’s words echoed his feelings of disgust and added much of law enforcement has lost faith in DPS.
Having safe highways and assisting other agencies with investigations are DPS’s primary responsibilities.
DPS is reportedly at 2002 staffing levels, officers are driving patrol cars with over 120,000 miles and officers who haven’t had a raise in seven years are making 25 percent less than their peers. All while the Arizona Department of Transportation has expanded its highway patrol like duties and policing operations to over 300 officers. As ADOT has expanded, over a dozen other state agencies have hired officers to perform investigative duties that were once DPS’s bailiwick.
A mid-2011 study conducted by the Fraternal Order of Police showed 95 percent of DPS employees said morale is low.
DPS was formed in 1968 by merging the highway patrol, state narcotics, liquor control and prison records and remained an effective statewide agency until politics became the driving force.
Has the time come for the 55-year-old agency to experience a massive organizational overhaul?
Between governors picking ineffective directors and the legislature failing in its oversight duties, DPS has fallen victim to political agendas and lousy leadership.
DPS is just a shell of what it once was and it showed in a graphic way during the recent freeway accidents that disrupted cities.
Retired Mesa master police officer Bill Richardson lives in the East Valley and can be reached at bill.richardson@cox.net.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 6:49 pm on Tue, Mar 5, 2013.
FOLKS............HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH ANOTHER ONE OF BILL RICHARDSON'S ......."VENDETTAS".
The Tempe Police Department (Mr. Richardson doesn't live in Tempe so what's with the Vendetta), Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu (Mr. Richardson doesn't live in Pinal County so what's with this Vendetta), Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Mr. Bill Richardson isn't an Illegal Alien so what's with this Vendetta) and now we come to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (as far as I can figure, the only reason the DPS has become one of Mr. Bill Richardson's... "Vendetta Victims"....IS BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTOR, MR. BOBBY HALLIDAY.....IS A FRIEND OF GOVERNOR JAN BREWER.
Mr. Bill Richardson, since you seem to know so much of the minute details of the DPS.....then how about enlightening the Readers of the EVT about the Mesa Police Department's Rapist Conviction Numbers regarding the 1,480 Rapes that occurred in the City of Mesa between the years of 2002 - 2011 ???
Mr. Bill Richardson since you were involved with investigating these Rape Cases...you of all people should have the number of these Mesa Rapists....at your fingertips.
KJDaVinci777 posted at 8:06 pm on Tue, Mar 5, 2013.
Bill...everytime you expose Arizona law enforcement corruption, you are subject to attack by the borderline menta-giantl voters that put these misfits in office. Babesue, Arpaio and Brewerery are classic examples of what is wrong with Arizona. However, the semi-educated voters are the ones to blame. If Brewery is incompetent, how can she appoint a competent DPS director. The same type of mental giants that voted for Obama also voted for the above incompetents and corrupt. Arizona needs an IQ requirement at the voting polls.(IQ of at least 60 should be a bottom line) I had no idea DPS fell into the Arpio-Babesue corruption camp. Leon - keep voting your corrupt officials into office...your kind has done a significant contribution to Arizona corruption.
shrinkingviolet posted at 8:22 pm on Tue, Mar 5, 2013.
Leon, your post is ludicrous, even for you. Mr. Bill Richardson has to say it, no one else it seems will. He's not grinding an axe, he's speaking with a voice of authority. I wouldn't expect you to recognize it...
Rich posted at 7:15 am on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
When times are good, corruption goes unnoticed. When times aren't you begin to see that just about every phase of government is corrupt. In design our government was never structured to be as powerful as it has become, and power corrupts. So long as we allow dems and reps a monopoly of it, we can't really expect positive change. DPS is just another in a long line of governmental failures. The really scary part is that pretty soon government will be in charge of your health.
geekette posted at 7:22 am on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
KJ said: The same type of mental giants that voted for Obama also voted for the above incompetents [Arpaio, Brewer, Babeu] and corrupt.
KJ, I don't think the same people who voted for Obama also voted for Arpaio et al.
What Bill Richardson left out in his article is that funding for DPS has been slashed by the legislature. Arizona's population, the number of cars on the road, and the number of highways has grown, but DPS has not been funded appropriately.
thinkkoolaid posted at 8:58 am on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
DPS has a annual pool between their "officers" on who can cause the largest traffic back-up after an accident. They all contribute and at the end of the year, the one with the longest line of cars and the longest delay wins.
Why else would they close hiways and roads for hours and hours? I think we need to have the leadership of the DPS come forward and put a stop to these arbitrary and way too long "closures".
KJDaVinci777 posted at 2:37 pm on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
Geekettte: You are correct...What I meant to say is that people and multiple voters that voted for Obamao/Chavez/Castro have an extreme low IQ...The ones that voted for Babsue, Arpiao and Brewery might have an IQ of maybe 1 or 2 points higher than the bottom of the barrel that voted for Obamao...The bottom line is that both camps voted stupid. Arizona deserves educated voters, that know good from evil. Chavez and Castro are evil...We cannot afford evil in Washington and Arizona. Is Dennis Rodmen representing Obama at the Chavez funeral? Bill Ayers also wants to go to represent Michelle and Jimmy Carter.
IceCat posted at 4:38 pm on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
Besides the failure of the state government to fund the DPS to the current needs, the other issue is that Governors have used the top spot as a political reward. As I recalled Gov. Fife appointed a rural county attorney (unqualified), Gov Janet appointed a rural sheriff Vanderpool, when she had the opportunity to appointed a Deputy Commissioner from the world's most respected traffic enforcement department, and Gov. Brewer and chose a retired officer Halliday; can anyone say double dipping?
Arizona DPS officers and the residents of this state deserve better.
samkat posted at 6:33 pm on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
It is a sad commentary when our law enforcement officers at city, county and state level are condemned because of their superiors. Sadly, we even have former officers making such assertions.
geekette posted at 7:22 pm on Wed, Mar 6, 2013.
KJ, what evidence do you have for your claims?
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:45 am on Thu, Mar 7, 2013.
Correction "samkat",
Former "master" police officers....lol.
Who by the way ....some how know every minute detail and statistic of the Arizona DPS's handling of a ...."20 MINUTE TRAFFIC TIE-UP ON THE I-10"..........BUT CAN'T GIVE THE EVT READERS THE NUMBER OF RAPISTS THAT THE MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRESTED FROM 2002 - 2011 FOR .......1,420 RAPES.
Arizona Willie posted at 4:16 pm on Thu, Mar 7, 2013.
KJDaVinci777: you said " What I meant to say is that people and multiple voters that voted for Obamao/Chavez/Castro have an extreme low IQ. "
My goodness you must be the most brilliant person alive! I voted for Obama ( reluctantly ) and my last IQ test was only 138 I admit. I was a bit ashamed of the low score because when I was a sophomore in high school my IQ test came in at 148.
But, the years do take their toll.
As we become senior citizens the light behind our eyes grows dimmer and dimmer.
I'm sure glad you told me that Obama voters had an extremely low IQ. I knew I had slipped but just didn't realize it was soooo far.
But since you consider the IQ of Obama voters to be so low, yours must be off the charts. Almost all University Professors and other intellectual types voted for Obama. Guess they just didn't know how stupid they are, eh?
Too bad you weren't there to let them know.
KJDaVinci777 posted at 8:48 pm on Thu, Mar 7, 2013.
Willie Arizona: Re: Obamao voters - Low IQ, Zombies, and stupid,stupid to name some classifications... You fall under one of the above IF you voted for the anti-American liar. Catergory 2: "Intellectuals" that voted for Obama fall under the following sections :Liars of the worst kind, anti-Americans, Socialist ala Chavez-Castro kind, Maoist, Communists and Nazis to a certain degree. They also support organized crime at the highest level, thus approving the corrupt practices of the current WH.These so-called university intellectuals are also anti-military and have no real knowledge of the US Constitution and are associates of Obamas best friend Bill Ayers. The Brewerery, Babesue ARPIAO, VOTERS most likely DID not vote for Obamao, so they fall under the low IQ, KKK and super stupid catergory...I hope this clears your above average IQ mind...When I vote - I vote American and support those that follow the US Constitution and are not above the law.
John Goforth posted at 9:30 pm on Thu, Mar 7, 2013.
Leon, I sometimes wonder why you bother to read this column. It's an opinion column and Mr. Richardson has an opinion which he expresses in it. If Mr. Richardson had a "vendetta" against the DPS or Joe Arpaio or whomever, that would imply that they personally did something to him that he is retaliating against them for. If he is merely pointing out practices that he believes are inappropriate then that is hardly a vendetta. If you have some knowledge of a vendetta on Mr. Richardson's part, please enlighten all of us. It just so happens that Mr. Richardson used to be a Police Officer and so he has some idea as to how policing is done, probably more than you do. That's not to say your opinion doesn't count, it is probably just less informed.
In addition, I'm not sure why you think Mr. Richardson has access to arrest data or conviction data for a police department that he worked at years ago, "at his fingertips." I'm guessing he's got the same access you or any other American has to public information. If you are dying to know crime statistics I suggest you file some sort of public information request with the police department so that you can be satisfied and hopefully leave a comment that has something to do with the opinion at hand. Otherwise, contact the tribune and see if they'll let you have your own column but your readership may suffer if you remain a one trick pony.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:09 am on Fri, Mar 8, 2013.
Dear Mr.Goforth,
Since Mr. Richardson chooses to have the honorific "master" police officer in his bio, then as a high-ranking ex-Mesa Police Officer who claims to have worked in Major Crimes during the years of 2002 - 2011 when 1,480 Rapes were reported in the City of Mesa then he should have no problem of giving the number of the alleged Rapists charged, brought to trial and convicted of these 1,480 Rapes. What I found rather interesting was the almost identical number of reported Rapes for the years; 2002 = 129, 2004 = 124, 2009 = 123 and 2010 = 124 (again). The years 2003 = 116, and 2011 = 131....being only 7 and 8 Rape cases different.
The mathematical probabilities of an almost...."identical"...number of Rapes as opposed to the large differences in Mesa's populations during those years....might raise a red flag or two with some one in City Hall....or maybe it wouldn't.....[wink]
Opinions (comments) are like ...."belly buttons"....everybody has one.
Arizona Willie posted at 2:24 pm on Fri, Mar 8, 2013.
It appears that KJDaVinci has replied to a post I made a couple of days ago that it seems the EVT has removed!!
I wonder why the EVT has removed my post. There certainly were no foul words in it ... oh wait ... yes ... that must be it ... I POSTED THE TRUTH.
So it had to be removed. Can't have people posting truths where everyone can see them.
KJDaVinci777 posted at 4:50 pm on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
Willie Arizona...If you knew the truth about Obamao, Arpiao, Brewery,Pearce,Babesue and the rest of the organized criminals in Arizona - you would not vote for those misfits.(Unless you also support organized crime) I have concluded that you cannot handle the truth...keep reading Bills postings to educate yourself about the truth.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:11 pm on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
Dear "KJDaVinci777",
Talking about Bill Richardson's.........."truth".....how about a little ...."truth" ....as to the number of the 1,480 Rapes that have occurred in the City of Mesa from 2002 - 2011.
HOW MANY OF THESE RAPES CASES HAVE GONE TO TRIAL ????
CAN WE, THE CITIZENS OF MESA.....HAVE SOME ...."TRUTH"....ABOUT THIS CRIME WHICH EVERYONE WOULD AGREE IS A THOUSAND TIMES MORE HORRIFIC THAT A...................1 HOUR TRAFFIC JAM ON THE I-10.
KJDaVinci777 posted at 2:02 pm on Sun, Mar 10, 2013.
Lion sin cerros...I agree that the Mesa "rapes" could be the subject of another Bill expose...unless Mesa has turned over the investigations to dumboArpaio who is a master of coverups and failure to investigate real criminals...How much money did Arpaio and Ava pocket from the money that was to be used to investigate crimes against CHILDREN... Ava just send out another pathetic letter wanting more money for Joe...Even Hitlers AVA never went begging...WOW 2 Avas related to 2 misfits...
frank66 posted at 1:31 pm on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
Maybe the state should focus on funding for legtimate and important public services, like law enforcment? Cut spending elsewhere, because we all know that tax increases aren't going to happen.
KJDaVinci777 posted at 2:07 pm on Thu, Mar 14, 2013.
66frank...you are correct, BUT Arizona cannot follow the footsteps of the Anti-American administration in Washington and continue to hire misfits, that is also cutting Federal law enforcement and the US Military. Arizona has misfits and Washington has the communist regime, thanks to the low IQ voters.