Missouri considering cuts to water patrol

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Public Safety is considering more than $450,000 in cuts to the Missouri State Water Patrol.

The department proposed the cuts after Gov. Jay Nixon's call to shave $60 million in spending throughout state government.

The public safety department is considering getting rid of seven of the patrol's 96 officers. The proposed cuts include laying off two officers at the Lake of the Ozarks.

But a spokesperson from the department says the water patrol could relocate officers or redraw patrol zones. So, the plan doesn't necessarily mean fewer officers will police the area.