They conduct the criminal background checks that keep drunks from driving school buses, child molesters from teaching in schools or working in child day-care facilities, and abusive individuals from taking jobs in nursing homes. They provide the instant criminal histories necessary for law enforcement officers to know who they're dealing with when they encounter a suspect on the street. And they conduct the searches that keep convicted felons from buying a gun or acquiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

That's not an inclusive list. But it certainly shows the paramount importance of the work done by the Utah Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Identification.

What's bad for the BCI is bad for public safety, period. And deep budget cuts at the agency charged with managing the state's massive criminal database would be very bad, indeed.

Responding to a potential BCI budget reduction outlined in a report by the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, BCI officials warn they may have to lay off 20 of their 74 employees.

Cuts of that magnitude could result in data-entry backlogs that jeopardize the safety of police officers, and the agency's ability to continue to conduct criminal background checks would be at risk.

We've heard howling like this before from state agencies. But in this case, according to state Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, the BCI isn't crying wolf.

Hutchings, who chairs the subcommittee that sets BCI's budget, said that if across-the-board cuts are implemented for all state agencies, and the BCI is forced to share equally in the pain, the impact could be devastating.

Across-the-board cuts aren't prudent. It's the lazy way to balance a budget. Better to establish priorities, and then raise taxes or cut spending accordingly.

Simply put, some government functions and programs are more important than others. And BCI's mission, to conduct criminal background checks and manage the state's criminal database, is more important than most.

Herbert, in his recommended budget, and state lawmakers, in their budget deliberations, will have to make tough choices. The state faces a budget shortfall estimated at $850 million. But giving the BCI the money necessary to do its job should be an easy decision to make, even if it means increasing fees for background checks.

All state agencies are not created equal. Budget cuts should reflect that fact.