If you get in a car wreck late at night on Interstate 17 while headed to Flagstaff, there’s a chance that no Department of Public Safety trooper will be available to respond to this emergency.Though DPS troopers are the designated first responders on state highways, sworn officers can offer 24-hour coverage in just two of Arizona’s 15 counties.The ranks of DPS are so thin that the vast majority of state highways go unmanned overnight.Despite warnings in recent years about drastically reduced filled positions at DPS, the state continues to see troopers retire or leave for higher paying jobs in other jurisdictions.Recent incremental raises haven’t stanched the loss of personnel. And so, DPS sits at a precipice: without significant pay raises to recruit new troopers, we may not be able to patrol the highways even during daylight hours.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.DPS pay lags, and we can’t keep staffGov. Katie Hobbs included in her budget an important 5% across-the-board pay raise for troopers. It is a first step toward pay parity with the various Phoenix-area law enforcement agencies that poach highly trained DPS troopers and make it difficult to retain our dedicated professionals.Of the 1,500 total sworn positions, a staggering 480 are empty. That’s simply unsustainable.Arizonans expect troopers to patrol the freeways and rural highways in the state. But while Arizona has built more than 1,100 miles of highways and interstates, it has added no more trooper positions since 1990’s.And even if DPS received more positions, filling them would be a challenge because of the uncompetitive pay.Opinion: Senator’s ‘immunity’ to traffic laws is ridiculousThe solution to our vacancy remains obvious: More money from the Legislature and Governor Hobbs to create competitive salaries.A 15% across-the-board salary increase would help close the gap between metro Phoenix police departments and DPS, and according to the department, it would cost the state $35 million a year.That may seem like a large number, but it’s really just a blip in a $17 billion budget.Department needs a 15% raise to competeLegislators and the governor must balance numerous competing priorities when crafting the state’s spending plan. But a budget is all about priorities, and voters expect public safety to take a backseat to no other issue.Hobbs and legislators made important investments in the last two years, even as state revenues slipped to create a temporary deficit.Troopers have long dealt with shabby, even dilapidated, office space in rural parts of the state. Our canine training grounds were inadequate for the health and safety of our brave dogs who save lives and detect illegal activities.The state invested in those improvements to ensure DPS can meet its many missions.Now, the state is once again flush with cash this year to dispense to many competing and worthy programs. If the residents and travelers in Coconino, Cochise or any of the other counties with huge vacancies want to see a trooper arrive after a 911 call, state leaders must prioritize DPS pay increases this year.The cost is minimal, but the benefits are tangible.Jeff Hawkins leads the Arizona State Troopers Association, which represents Arizona Department of Public Safety employees. On X, formerly Twitter, @aztroopers. …
