(Photo from Sean Tindell Facebook)
- Commissioner of Public Safety Sean Tindell says consolidating 11 divisions into 7 could improve coordination and save taxpayer dollars.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety supports legislation passed by the state Senate last week that would streamline its operations.
The bill – SB 2817 – would consolidate DPS’s current 11 divisions into 7 units.
DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell said that by merging the units, the department could see savings in administration and purchasing while making it easier for agents to make moves within the department during their career. Additionally, he said it would be easier for DPS to share intelligence and coordinate investigations.
The funds saved, Tindell said, “could be put to use for front-line purposes,” such as additional equipment and training.
Under the proposed legislation, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, the Bureau of Narcotics, the Bureau of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Forensic Laboratories would fall under the authority of what would be termed the Mississippi State Bureau of Investigation.
Tindell said combining the four units under the MSBI would allow the agencies to cut administrative costs and share computer software as DPS intends to save funds by purchasing a single system.
“We’re spending a lot on different pieces of equipment that we could jointly buy and have one piece of equipment,” Tindell told Senator in the Judiciary B Committee. “So, the goal is consolidation and cost saving. Also, to help agents in the field to have a single chain of command.”
Tindell said the heads of the different divisions came together and thought consolidation under the Mississippi State Bureau of Investigation “would be the way for the future.” The consolidation is not expected to result in any losses of positions.
SB 2817 also allows DPS to increase the fees the state charges counties for autopsies and salvage vehicle user fees.
Under the bill, autopsies would increase from $1,000 to $1,200. This would be the first increase since 2010.
“This is still very, very low for the regional average,” State Senator Mike Thompson (R) said when presenting the measure to the Senate. Thompson noted that Louisiana charges $2,500 for an autopsy while Texas charges $4,000.
The safety inspection salvage title fee would increase from $75 to $125, which has been at the current rate since the 1990s, and the VIN verification fee would be increased from $25 to $50.
“Currently, the department expends about $900,000 on the salvage title safety inspections. This fee increase would simply get them to a breakeven point,” Thompson said.
The bill, which passed 48 to 4 in the Senate, was transmitted to the House, where it was referred to the Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency and Judiciary B committees.
