Arizona DPS re-inspected school buses following criminal investigation

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety inspected 1,294 school buses after a former DPS employee’s conduct raised suspicions.

Last November, AZDPS received a complaint alleging that Trooper Steve Powers had misused a department vehicle, according to a press release.

An internal investigation discovered that Powers may have violated the law while assigned to the Department’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau.

The Department’s Criminal Investigations Division then took over the case and discovered conflicting information as to whether or not Powers’ school bus inspections were conducted to the Department’s standards, according to the release.

Following the conflicting information, ADPS’ 48 bus inspectors re-inspected all the vehicles last inspected by Powers since 2019.

The re-inspections discovered minor infractions, all of which have been corrected.

Powers opted to resign on Feb. 20 rather than be terminated.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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