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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama — Today is the last day Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies will respond to traffic accidents.

Beginning Saturday, responsibility for working those accidents goes to the Alabama State Troopers.

“Anyone involved in an accident should contact the local state trooper post,” Chief Deputy Randy Christian said today. “If the call comes to us, we will simply forward it to the state trooper’s offices.”

Sheriff Mike Hale last week announced the move as part of his plan to deal with a $3 million reduction to his budget, part of a countywide cutback in spending. He notified the Gov. Robert Bentley and the Alabama Department of Public Safety earlier this week, but received no response from either office.

“I don’t read anything into that,” Christian said today. “Wrecks are the state’s responsibility. We worked them here as a service to our citizens to get traffic flowing again as quickly as possible rather than waiting for a trooper to arrive.

“Sometimes they are stretched thin and are no where near the area. That’s no knock on that agency. They do a fine job, but have limited resources also.”

The sheriff’s office typically responded to close to 6,000 accidents each year.

“We do not have the personnel to handle that load anymore,” Christian said. “The limited personnel we have left we want to dedicate to fighting crime. I don’t know what kind of resources troopers will be able to pour in. My guess is the wait time will be substantial as will the traffic jams. Patience will be wearing pretty thin.”

The Alabama Department of Public Safety also hasn’t responded to The Birmingham News’ requests this week for reaction to Hale’s announcement.

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