Birkett says staff shortages a safety risk

While DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett made a successful case for hiring additional employees Tuesday, it's uncertain what the long-term verdict will be given the county's budget woes.

Judicial/public safety committee members agreed with Birkett that public safety was at risk by overburdening prosecutors.

"They're stressed out to the max," Birkett said. "They can't sleep at night, they can't prepare."

He is seeking about $693,000 to hire 11 more employees, including seven assistant state's attorneys, clerical staff and a computer programmer.

Compared to neighboring counties, DuPage has fewer prosecutors per resident and a staffing level below that in 1996, Birkett said.

Assistant state's attorneys now lack time to prepare cases, consult with police and

reach out to victims and witnesses, he said.

Board members voted in favor of the plan, but their decision isn't final. And, the county could be facing a budget shortfall of between $20 million and $28 million next year, officials learned.

While board member Jim Zay noted, "Crime doesn't care if we have budget problems," some officials warned other departments could fall prey to revenue reductions if the state's attorney's office is granted additional funds.

"If we don't have a new revenue source, we're looking at further cuts," board member Linda Kurzawa said.

Although she agreed prosecutors were stretched to the limit, Kurzawa cast the sole vote against the measure, telling her colleagues they shouldn't make a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Birkett, however, came armed with the promise of generating more than $2 million for the county through new court fees he lobbied for in the General Assembly. While some of that money is earmarked for a program that investigates child abuse and offers treatment for victims, the remainder is a boost for county coffers and that bought him support.

"The state's attorney has gone to Springfield successfully to get additional funding," board member Brien Sheahan said. "We're simply allowing him to spend that money for the purpose he argued he needed. It's pretty much a wash."

Many county leaders are pinning their hopes on state lawmakers passing a cigarette tax. When asked about a "Plan B," Finance Committee Chairman Patrick O'Shea said, "Plan B if we don't get a revenue source is to cut 20 percent."