MSP Faces Financial and Staffing Challenges
Right now 38 men and women are training to become Michigan's newest State Troopers.
For the first time in 2 years the state is holding a Trooper Recruit School.
We told you about it when it started last week. A viewer heard the story and wrote me asking, "What about all the troopers who were laid off last year?"
The answers we found for him are the subject of tonight's Fact Finder Report.
There are 954 State Police Troopers working to protect public safety in Michigan. Sgt. Kevin Rod says that's one of the lowest levels ever and due in a large part to massive retirements.
But replacing those officers is challenging.
The officers must train in a 20 week Trooper Recruit School.
The last one was in 2008. 83 graduated that December. But only 6 months later the state laid off 100 troopers because of budget cuts.
55 of those were recalled in November 2009. Another 28 were recalled last December thanks to federal stimulus money. Sgt. Rod tells me the remaining officers were all given the opportunity to come back this fall, but some had found other jobs.
Even with those officers back on the force, older officers are retiring faster than they can be replaced.
A Trooper Recruit Schools can only be held when the legislature sets aside money for one. It's not in the state's budget this year, but a federal grant is paying for a smaller than normal recruit school.
Sgt. Rod says class size can range from 100-160 recruits. This year there are 38, even though there were 800 candidates.
So there are candidates and we are at historically low levels for troopers. But where's the money to pay for new officers in the future? What do you think? Should the new administration and new lawmakers make it a priority to fund more state troopers or should we make due with fewer?
Leave your ideas below.
