Funds for troopers held up

The governor doubts the need for more troopers.
By MARK SCOLFORO
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HARRISBURG (AP) -- Money to help train, equip and pay up to 90 additional state troopers made it into the budget signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell on Independence Day, but it appears unlikely the appropriation will translate into more manpower any time soon.
The governor's top budget aide said he wants to see how the expired union contract is resolved first, and says next year's budget picture already looks too gloomy to risk the cost of more manpower.
It's unclear just how much the Legislature actually added to the state police's budget: Rendell's analysts say $5 million, the troopers' union says $4 million plus millions more in a related fund, and state Rep. Ron Marsico, the Dauphin County Republican who has championed the cause, puts it at $7.2 million. It costs $106,000 to bring in a rookie trooper.
Number of troopers
The troopers union points to studies that show their numbers are small compared with neighboring states and other larger states, but the governor doubts the need. His spokeswoman, Kate Philips, said Rendell made that assessment on input from state police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller.
"The commissioner has advised him that we're operating well with the troopers we have right now and there's no need to increase the complement," she said.
Bruce A. Edwards, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, said even 90 additional officers would be insufficient. He cites a 2001 report by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee that called for 370 more troopers. Since then, just 100 additional positions have been created.
The department's current size of 4,187 officers is just 124 more than 16 years ago.
"If you re-did that study today, they would recommend even more troopers than that 370," he said.
Pennsylvania's troopers are the sole police force in an estimated 85 percent of the state's land area, and in recent years have added significant anti-terrorism and methamphetamine lab decontamination duties.
Adding to the shortage
Edwards predicts a coming spike in retirements could compound the shortage, with some leaving because this year contains 27 paydays, which only occurs every seven years. Pension payments -- 75 percent of salary after 25 years -- are based on the final year's pay.
Also, Edwards said, retirement-eligible troopers have to worry that the new contract could cut health benefits. Retiring under the current plan locks in its benefits.
The department has 88 vacancies and a class of 44 cadets expected to graduate the academy this fall, followed soon by a class of about 100.
Waiting on contract
Budget Secretary Michael Masch said the administration wants to wait until an arbitrator decides the contract sometime this fall before making hiring decisions with long-term consequences.
"The more reasonable the troopers association is, in terms of their demands in terms of wages, benefits and working conditions, the farther the state budget will go," he said.
"We are only prepared to have increases in spending if they're sustainable," Masch said. "The worst thing we could do is increase spending this year only to have to ratchet [it] back next year."
He said the state could get more current troopers onto the road by adding cheaper civilian jobs for desk work and from time savings attributable to consolidated dispatch centers and more efficient technology.
Marsico said the cost represents only a fraction of the overall budget and pointed out that the state just finished its fiscal year with a sizable surplus.
"There's plenty of money to fund these troopers," he said. "They're backpedaling, and it's a shame that they went against the will of the General Assembly and also the will of the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
XMark Scolforo covers the State Capitol for The Associated Press in Harrisburg.
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