more pork for the police state???? Original Article Bill would fund body armor for DPS By Andrea Falkenhagen, Tribune January 3, 2006 Drivers with lead feet could help to buy bulletproof vests for Arizona Department of Public Safety officers under a newly proposed law. A legislative bill being sponsored by Rep. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, and Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, would take away any profits made by Scottsdales pilot program to automatically photograph and cite speeders on Loop 101. The money would go into a special fund for DPS officers to buy body armor. Scottsdale has said it does not make much money and sometimes even loses it in its existing photo-enforcement program. Yet Reagan sees the new program, set to begin its ninemonth trial in February, as easy money for cities. "They say they dont make any money, and if thats the case, OK," Reagan said. "But if they do, then I think there should be legislation in place to direct where that money goes." DPS allots $850 for each officer for a bulletproof vest, but if officers want to buy more comfortable body armor with a higher resistance, they must pay from their own pockets, said detective Frank Valenzuela, a DPS spokesman. Most officers choose to purchase the higher-end equipment, he said. "Theyre willing to go ahead and spend the extra dollars because their life depends on it," he said. "This is a piece of equipment that they wear every day at work. They may have to shell out some dollars of their own, but if its not comfortable, they wont wear it, and they know that," he said. Critics of photo enforcement have said the tax money used for it could be better spent on hiring more DPS officers. Reagan said her bill would help support those officers. Photo enforcement "was never meant to take officers off the roads. But it means the officers dont have to spend time writing tickets they can go after drunk drivers and other things," she said. Contact Andrea Falkenhagen by email, or phone (480) 970-2348