By Walker Orenstein
The Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Faced with reports of an unhappy and underpaid State Patrol, lawmakers are trying to give patrol officers a pay raise and make other departmental upgrades to reverse an increasing shortage of troopers.
Two bills in the state Legislature, which were scheduled for hearings Monday in the Senate Transportation Committee, seek to halt what a survey of the State Patrol calls an “unsustainable” drop in troopers because many officers are leaving for higher pay at other police departments or retiring.
The bills would make patrol salaries competitive with other local law enforcement agencies.
A 7.5 percent across-the-board raise is the main tenet of one proposed solution, Senate Bill 6547, sponsored by Republican Sen. Randi Becker of Eatonville.
Becker’s bill also would require the State Patrol to develop a marketing and outreach plan to recruit new troopers.
Another bill, Senate Bill 6331, would adjust trooper salaries to always be higher than half of the top-five salaries of local law enforcement agencies in Washington state.
Under the proposal, if a trooper leaves the State Patrol within three years to become a local police officer, that local department would have to pay the state for the trooper’s training costs.
That bill is sponsored by Republican Sen. Don Benton of Vancouver.
Survey urges changes
The survey, created by a California-based financial consultant company, recommends changes to the State Patrol such as salaries adjusted by location, bonuses to keep troopers of retirement age and modifying retirement plans for early career troopers.
But money isn’t everything to troopers, according to the survey.
Fewer than 18 percent of troopers and sergeants surveyed in the patrol feel they’re valued, and 37 percent said they’re somewhat valued.
Fewer than 10 percent responded that their opinion is taken into account by the department, and 32.6 percent feel their opinion is somewhat valued.
The report has five recommendations to fix job satisfaction issues, including allowing troopers to take part in selecting new uniforms and “addressing current comfort and style concerns.”
Fewer than 37 percent of troopers would encourage others to consider starting a career with the State Patrol, according to the report.
