Video: Mississippi Dealing with State Trooper Shortage

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JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) — Mississippi is dealing with a shortage of state troopers.

State officials say it’s a major concern, until the numbers get to where they should be.

“We’re down below 500, or right at 500, and that’s the lowest numbers we’ve seen in probably three decades,” said Warren Strain, Department of Public Safety spokesman.

The most recent trooper graduation was in March 2015.

Since then, officials say MHP has more than a hundred fewer troopers than it should, which is a public safety concern.

“It’s not too hard to find enough cadets, or people who are interested in going to the trooper school,” Strain said. “It’s just the funding mechanism, and getting that into place, in order to put those people on the road.”

Lawmakers acknowledge there’s a problem.

“We have got to train more highway patrolmen. I don’t see enough of them on the road here from Jackson back to Columbus,” said Sen. Chuck Younger, (R) District 17. “I sure hope that we can get more money for them.”

But that, of course, depends on the budget.

Trooper school has to be authorized through appropriation money.

“You have to set aside that amount of money. It takes about $7 million to train 50 troopers,” Strain said.

Trooper First Class Greg Bell says the Starkville District 5 is definitely feeling the crunch, with only 26 troopers patrolling the roads in 10 counties.

“We still have troopers that are having to come from two counties away, so they’re driving 60, 70 miles, one way, responding to accidents, assistance for helping stranded motorists,” Bell said.

He says there aren’t any bills dedicated to patrol school right now. Even if there was, it’ll be awhile before Mississippi sees more highway patrolmen on the roadways.

“If they told us, ‘Hey, you can start a patrol school next month,’ it’s still going to be 18 months until those troopers that complete the program are actually out on the road,” Bell said.

Bell says he doesn’t know how much money MHP is getting this year from the legislature, but he’s hopeful it’ll be enough to hold another trooper school soon.

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