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Department of Public Safety asks legislature for increased operating budget to sustain basic services
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Summary
Commissioner Anthony Amekronas told the House Ways and Means committee that the Department of Public Safety needs more local funding for operations, staffing, training, equipment and legal costs to maintain patrol, investigations and emergency response.
The Department of Public Safety asked the House Standing Committee on Ways and Means for increased local funding to cover basic operations, staffing and training needs, Commissioner Anthony Amekronas told legislators at a July budget hearing.
Amekronas, who introduced department command staff to the committee, said the department faces expanded responsibilities while resources remain limited and urged members to treat public safety as a top funding priority.
The request emphasizes basic operational costs — utilities, vehicle and facility repairs, and ongoing maintenance — as well as recruiting and hiring additional officers. "Public safety is the foundation of every thriving community," Amekronas said, arguing that understaffing and aging equipment reduce response capacity. He also asked for funding to establish a full-service police academy and for ongoing specialized training in crisis response, victim-centered investigation, use of force, de-escalation and ethics.
Amekronas told the committee the department needs modern radios, uniform protective gear and service firearms, and called out inconsistent, outdated radios as a risk to emergency response coordination. He also asked for overtime funding to cover 24/7 protection needs and for money to pay legal expenses tied to defending the department and complying with legal mandates.
Committee members pressed for specifics — including current vacancy levels, what federal grant support the department already receives and how revolving accounts and recent grant awards will be used — before the hearing moved into detailed line-item questions.
The hearing record shows multiple department officials and the Office of Management and Budget participated in the session; members of the committee said they will follow up with site visits and further budget analysis.
The Department of Public Safety did not record any formal votes during this hearing; the committee will consider the department's requests as part of broader budget deliberations.
