Janet Napolitano loves piggys!!!! Original Article Napolitano reverses patrol cutback order Napolitano says cuts a 'last resort' Senta Scarborough The Arizona Republic Oct. 7, 2005 12:00 AM Gov. Janet Napolitano on Thursday reversed an order by the director of the Department of Public Safety requiring officers to reduce patrols to conserve fuel in the face of a potential $2 million overrun in fuel costs. The governor directed DPS Director Roger Vanderpool to rescind his Sept. 23 order asking officers to cut the miles they drive by 10 percent each month. Napolitano's decision came the same day The Republic reported the agency's new measures for fuel conservation as it faces an anticipated additional $2 million to $2.9 million in gas costs. The measures included writing reports on the road instead of returning to the office, cutting unnecessary travel, and carpooling to meetings and training. Those measures will remain in place. "We don't compromise public safety to save costs for fuel," Napolitano spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer said. "There are other ways to handle those kinds of budget shortfalls." L'Ecuyer said the plans to reduce fuel consumption "was a surprise to the governor's staff." In a memo to Vanderpool, Napolitano said reducing patrols "should always be a last resort." Vanderpool said he wanted to make an effort early on to conserve fuel in "common sense" ways such as carpooling. He said the intention was to save money and put more officers on the highway. "It was never to reduce officers patrolling the highways. It was to patrol smarter," he said. "The governor is committed to keep the highway patrol very visible on the road and that is what we are going to do." The governor directed Vanderpool to review his budget to find other options to deal with the crunch. DPS and the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting will look for ways to cover the unexpected costs, L'Ecuyer said. After a review by the executive budget office, DPS can request money from the Legislature, Napolitano said. "We need to exhaust those options before we begin reducing the number of patrols. Patrolling is how you catch people committing crimes," L'Ecuyer said. On Wednesday, Sgt. Lynn Ideus, president of the Grand Canyon State Fraternal Order of Police, which represents all DPS employees, said he didn't expect the cutbacks to affect public safety. Vanderpool's order came after Napolitano asked all state agencies in early September to reduce travel as a precaution and encouraged agency directors to encourage carpooling, bus riding and telecommuting. The director made the changes to offset the high fuel prices brought on by Hurricane Katrina. The director's goal was to reduce fuel consumption by 10 percent, which could reduce the deficit by $500,000, he projected.