1) Since September 11, 2001, Michigan has 1,600 fewer law enforcement officers protecting our state.

2) Michigan borders a foreign country with the Wayne County Sheriffs' Deputies providing a majority of the law enforcement services and security at Michigan's border.

3) Wayne County is proposing to lay off 240 Sheriff Deputies; this will threaten the safety and security of Wayne County as well as the entire state of Michigan.

4) Additionally, the Wayne County Correction facilities are becoming ever increasingly dangerous due to overcrowding situations in both the local and state correctional facilities.  Due to jail diversion programs, Wayne County Correctional facilities are housing more hardened criminals, who were normally imprisoned in our state's penal system, than ever before.  Additionally, due to the closure of many of our state's mental health hospitals, the Wayne County Correctional facilities have also seen a large influx of severely mentally ill individuals.  And now Wayne County is proposing closing the Dickerson Facility in Hamtramck.  This will only exacerbate the overcrowding situation currently found in Wayne County Correction facilities.

5) Wayne County Sheriff Deputies sacrificed a cost of living increase in the most recent negotiations between SEIU Local 502 and Wayne County to avoid layoffs.  Now, a few months later Wayne County is threatening layoffs again.

6) Wayne County Sheriff deputies are already working short staffed, often in dangerous situations where they put their lives on the line everyday for our safety.  A loss of some 240 deputies would be unsafe for deputies left on the job, as well as the families in Wayne County and our entire state.