Only a handful of cadets qualify to be Georgia state troopers in a state with a severe trooper shortage (Atlanta: 2015, insurance)

[Born 2 Roll]

In an ongoing development that significantly impacts the public's safety and well-being, Georgia's acutely severe state trooper shortage seems to be exacerbated by a severe lack of qualified candidates and inadequate pay...

More than 2,700 men and women applied to become Georgia state troopers in 2015. At the end of training, only 30 were wearing the Smokey hat and driving that hot blue Georgia State Patrol car...

...In recent years, the state’s primary traffic enforcement agency has been so short-staffed that there are not enough troopers to patrol the roads 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in two-thirds of the state. The staffing issue also has meant the Patrol is unable to respond to thousands of wrecks each year, state documents showed.

The number of prospects is dwindling either because the public’s attitude toward law enforcement has changed [and] the quality of those who want to go into the field is lacking.

"Are you fit to be a Georgia state trooper? Thousands of applicants aren’t....Only a handful of cadets make it through Georgia trooper school" (The Atlanta Journal Constitution/MyAJC.com)
Only a handful of cadets make it through Georgia trooper school | www.myajc.com

[atltechdude]

Seems like it's a reflection of a greater systemic problem in America today.

We have a significantly larger percentage of the population that is either fat, lazy, unmotivated, overly-entitled, or some combination of all of those then has been the case in previous years.

[Atlmike]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Seems like it's a reflection of a greater systemic problem in America today.

We have a significantly larger percentage of the population that is either fat, lazy, unmotivated, overly-entitled, or some combination of all of those then has been the case in previous years.

No, correction seems like a problem with government departments (TSA comes to mind) that thinks they can pay workers peanuts and get quality work or people. You have to pay to play just like consumers have to spend huge amounts of money to get the "best" work or product, these government agencies should as well.


Trooper starting pay is 34k that's not a living wage when you consider the dangers of the job in itself plus just think of being a trooper working the metro area

[canadian citizen]

WOW ! Thirty four thousand, as a base pay rate ?


That is really surprising.


While I understand that having superior testing results, and better than average interview results is important....With the population of the state of Georgia, it shouldn't be that hard to recruit the needed number of new hires.


For a comparison in wages and benefits, the Ontario Provincial Police offer the following pay rates and benefits to their potential officers. The OPP delivers essentially the same type of Police services, as the Georgia State patrol does, but over a much larger region. Ontario is about one and a half times larger than Texas is.


The OPP pay rates for 2015.


A first year officer that has completed the Ontario Police College program ( 12 months of training in two six month segments ) is paid $53.000 annually, while a first class Constable with 5 years of service is paid $113,000 annually. Those figures include full medical coverage for them and their spouse and children, life insurance of one million dollars, and twice that if the death is "job related ". In addition all of their equipment, uniforms, and firearms are provided to them by the OPP. If an OPP officer wants to attend a University to expand their knowledge in a subject that relates to their Police career, the OPP pays the entire cost of that program.


OPP officers that are assigned to an isolated Northern posting also receive a extra $15,000 a year for housing allowance and travel costs. They are also provided with free housing at the cost of the OPP in the Northern parts of Ontario. In some cases the only way in to an isolated OPP posting is by aircraft or boat.


The OPP has a huge number of applicants every year, and they have a target of having a 50/50 employee ratio of men and women as of 2018.


Jim B.

[scgraham]

American liberalism has raised up a bunch of losers, and now it's reaping what it sowed. Not enough qualified police officers. Those who are probably don't want to risk their lives for ungrateful losers. How pathetic.

[cqholt]

Why would anyone want to be GSP, when they could make nearly $50K being APD or MARTA PD?

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by Atlmike

No, correction seems like a problem with government departments (TSA comes to mind) that thinks they can pay workers peanuts and get quality work or people. You have to pay to play just like consumers have to spend huge amounts of money to get the "best" work or product, these government agencies should as well.

Trooper starting pay is 34k that's not a living wage when you consider the dangers of the job in itself plus just think of being a trooper working the metro area

That could definitely be part of the problem as well. 34k is a crap wage.

I was commenting more on the fact that there were 30 graduates out of 2700 applicants though. Clearly there were people wiling to work for that wage.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by scgraham

American liberalism has raised up a bunch of losers

Don't make this political, because it isn't. There are plenty of fat unmotivated lazy slobs who vote Republican.

[scgraham]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

Don't make this political, because it isn't. There are plenty of fat unmotivated lazy slobs who vote Republican.

I don't defend Republicans. liberalism has in fact produced a bunch of losers. Now we have no cops.

[North Beach Person]

This has been ongoing for the last several years and not just in Georgia and not just for law enforcement. Yes the pay is a factor but also is the general lack of fitness of many people in the targeted age group as well as, and this is the elephant in the room, criminal records of many. And no, it's not all "victimless marijuana charges". Fights in school now result in criminal charges, as an example. That's federal suggestion/requirement enshrined by the states in their laws.