(WXYZ) State police are stretched awfully thin these days, with trooper layoffs looming and squad cars being parked to save money. So why is the state moving forward with a plan to build a costly new headquarters that troopers never even asked for? It’s the latest chapter in a story our Chief Investigative Reporter Steve Wilson has been following since he first reported on it almost two years ago.
WATCH STEVE'S LATEST REPORT IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ON THE RIGHTWe’re talking about the no-bid contract to build a new home for our state police. It’s a deal given to a politically-connected developer at a time when the state can least afford it.
Rep. Rick Jones/R-Grand Ledge: Why would we build a new building right now when we’re facing billions—billion with a ‘b’—in deficits in our budgets? And we’re looking at serious cuts. It’s the last thing in the world we need is a new building.
Former-sheriff-turned-legislator Rick Jones has opposed this project from the start, but still the five-story state of the art Lansing headquarters has risen at the corner of Grand and Kalamazoo. So far, the cost has all been born by developer Joel Ferguson and his partners, but under the terms of his controversial contract with the state? This good friend and supporter of Gov. Jennifer Granholm could pocket millions of state tax dollars from the no-bid project. And the current headquarters? Yes, it’s more than 75-years old, but at just a-dollar-a-year to lease, even with high maintenance costs, taxpayers are getting a break.
Rep. Rick Jones: I’m convinced more than ever that this is the worst case of political payback.
But despite the efforts of Jones and others, the Granholm administration is showing no sign of changing course, even though the contract can be effectively cancelled by the legislature with no penalty at all. Granholm just issued an executive order slashing virtually every agency including the state police.
100 troopers will be laid-off this month, leaving Michigan with the smallest force in more than 40 years. 82 getting pink-slipped just graduated from the trooper academy where taxpayers spent more than $8 million to train them. Those layoffs will save $1.7 million this fiscal year. But then Ferguson will collect a first year’s lease payment that will eat up that, and two million more. And meanwhile, troopers who remain on the job are being ordered to park many of their cars and limit use of the rest during the busy summer travel period to save money.
Sen. Cameron Brown/R-Fawn River Twp.: We’re laying those 82 troopers essentially off in order, you could make the argument, in order to pay for a new building that no one really wants to move in to.
State Senator Cameron Brown is another legislator who’s long railed against building a new state police headquarters. He says in more than two years, he’s yet to find a single trooper who actually supports the project.
Sen. Cameron Brown: Still I feel very strongly that they would prefer not to move in considering that the current state police headquarters again costs the taxpayers a dollar-a-year.
State police officials point out that the first lease payment won’t actually come due until the building opens next January. So, they say, canceling the lease wouldn’t actually produce immediate savings to address this year’s deficit. But we’ve obtained an internal memo which indicates even more drastic cuts will be needed next year, too. But now, today?
Michael Moorman/State Troopers Assoc. Pres.: There isn’t one corner of the state of Michigan that is not going to feel an impact by the proposed layoffs that were announced back on May 5th.
And if you’re wondering just what effect fewer troopers and parked squad cars is likely to have on safety? Well the last time the state instituted similar cost saving measures, in a mere five-month span? Drunk driver arrests plummeted almost 23%. Fugitive arrests fell about 17%. And the number of traffic tickets? They dropped by about 20%, supposedly making state roads less safe, and generating less money in fines.
Michael Moorman: I guess I ask the powers-that-be this question: what’s more important, a building, or 100 troopers out there on the road? Because that building isn’t going to respond to Negaunee, it’s not going to respond to Ypsilanti, that building’s not going to be able to respond to Flint when the need and the cry for help comes out.
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TELL YOUR LEGISLATOR WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE:CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVECLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATORIf you have a tip for the Action News Investigative Team, contact us at wilson@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
