LANSING, Mich. — Some sheriff's deputies' jobs are at stake after the governor cut millions of dollars to the state police budget.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer cut the Secondary Road Patrol program which pays for additional deputies to patrol rural roads.
"It'll have an impact, a significant impact in our operation. Not just here in Ingham County, but sheriffs throughout the state are scrambling as to what they're going to do if this doesn't get fixed," said Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth.
The governor vetoed the $13 million that would have funded the program.
Sheriff Wriggelsworth says his office can't afford more cuts to staff.
"That affects response times, police reports, investigations and all the stuff we do in law enforcement. The less people you have to do it, it's a significant impact, especially when we've got limited resources already," he said.
It could mean slower response times for emergencies like the deadly accident involving an Amish buggy on Vermontville Highway.
"This thing was very bad. It's very concerning to me that this part of the budget was cut," said Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich.
According to Governor Whitmer, her line-item vetoes are negotiable.
"I don't want to have to make horrible decisions that are going to impact public safety because this legislature is unable to get back to the table and swallow their pride," the governor said.
"We're hoping that, with everything, they can come to an agreement on restoring that money because it is an important part of what we do as a sheriff's department," said Sheriff Reich.
In 2018, the program funded salaries for 119 deputies.
If it remains unfunded, those jobs could be gone including two deputies in Ingham County and one in Eaton County.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police Office of Highway Safety Planning said, “In making tough decisions on the budget, Governor Whitmer did issue a line-item video that strikes funding for the Secondary Road Patrol program. We’re hopeful the legislature returns to budget negotiations and restores funding for this important program."
The legislature created the Secondary Road Patrol program in 1978.
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