Raises for state troopers

The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer: Most of us look at our state troopers as elite cops, the cream of the crop, the professionals who keep our highways safe.

That’s what a lot of the troopers thought too, when they joined the N.C. Highway Patrol. But promises of good pay and regular raises vanished in the recession, and it’s not unusual to find master troopers whose families are on Medicaid and food stamps. Many have to moonlight at second jobs to make ends meet.

Deep financial hole

The troopers have gotten several raises recently, but many are still in a deep financial hole. That’s why about half of North Carolina’s troopers – 800 of them – have joined a class-action lawsuit seeking the pay they were promised when they joined the Highway Patrol.

It’s unclear how far the suit will progress. A trial-court judge ruled against the two-year-old suit, and that decision is being appealed. It’s hard to see success in the offing, given the precedent it would set for thousands of other government workers who find themselves in the same fix.

But we hope the General Assembly will continue to boost Highway Patrol pay, keeping the promises that were made to the troopers when they were recruited.

These are the men and women who keep us safe. Let’s keep them safe too.