By Bob Christie | Capitol Media Services
The families of state or local police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians killed on the job as the result of a criminal act will get an extra $250,000 payment on top of already robust benefits if voters approve Proposition 311 in November.
But politics, as well as money for survivors, is involved in the measure. Backers tout it as a way for Arizona voters to send a message of support for police in the wake of years of rising public concern about law enforcement officers who improperly use the power of their badges.
And the estimated $1 million yearly cost of the new benefit put on the ballot by the Legislature will come out of the pockets of every person convicted of a crime in Arizona through a new $20 surcharge they’ll have to pay. That gives most voters a way to support greater payouts without taking on any added burden themselves.
