Vehicle enforcement move is a no-brainer

By Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

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State officials are exploring a proposal to merge the Iowa Department of Transportation's motor-vehicle enforcement duties with the Department of Public Safety.

They think it will improve road safety and integrate services in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Well, duh.

The plan would shift up to 106 DOT law officers - whose primary jobs are to enforce weight requirements, equipment safety and other laws pertaining to the commercial trucking industry operating on highways in Iowa - into the DPS, which includes the Iowa State Patrol where troopers enforce overall traffic laws and assist in many more general law enforcement functions.

Tim Albrecht, spokesman for Gov. Terry Branstad, confirmed that state Public Safety Commissioner Larry Noble and DOT Director Paul Trombino III have discussed integrating the so-called DOT “blue coat” motor vehicle enforcement responsibilities within the DPS to improve public safety “while saving both general fund and road use tax fund dollars through better integration of communications, facilities, purchasing, and personnel.”

We only have one question: Why wasn't vehicle enforcement under Public Safety to begin with?

Oh, right, it's state government. And leave it to a state lawmaker to tell why it shouldn't happen.

Sen. Eugene Fraise, D-Fort Madison, a member of the House-Senate justice systems budget subcommittee, said he has opposed such a merger even though he believes the DOT officers support the move because he is concerned it would distract them from their core enforcement duties.

“I don't think that ought to happen,” Fraise said. “That's kind of a shock to me that they would do that.

“There's plenty of work out there for them to do that without them getting over into law enforcement and then wind up having to spend the day in court testifying there instead of being out on the road doing their job,” Fraise said. “I've always resisted that.”

Huh? We don't want a division engaged in law enforcement to be part of a department engaged in law enforcement?

Give us a break.

This move may not only save money, it makes sense.