INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO) — The Indiana State Police are short nearly 200 troopers statewide and are looking for new recruits as retirements continue to outpace hiring.
State police officials told WSBT 22 that Indiana has nearly 1,200 authorized trooper positions, but staffing remains about 200 below the agency’s goal.
Sgt. Ted Bohner, an Indiana State Police public information officer, said the shortage has become increasingly difficult to address.
“We really, really need people. And here in the past couple of years, retirements have been outpacing new hires,” Bohner said.
The staffing shortage can affect patrol coverage across Indiana, including on major highways and the Indiana Toll Road.
ISP says troopers assigned to the Toll Road are eligible for an additional $6,000 in annual pay.
Bohner said filling the vacant positions would put more troopers behind the wheel and on patrol throughout the state.
“These 200 people, we really wanna fill them because it will literally and figuratively be people that are in the driver’s seat of a patrol car that people are gonna see,” Bohner said.
He said additional troopers would be available to patrol Indiana’s roads and interstates and serve communities across the state.
Indiana State Police officials say recruiting has been a challenge for about a decade, reflecting broader difficulties attracting applicants to law enforcement positions nationwide.
Bohner pointed to several factors contributing to the shortage, including changes in the law enforcement profession and the emergence of technology-focused jobs that did not exist within police agencies years ago.
He also cited changing public perceptions of law enforcement as another factor affecting recruitment.
ISP is now accepting applications for its 91st Lateral Academy and 92nd Traditional Academy.
The agency is recruiting for a variety of opportunities, including patrol positions, the bomb squad and aviation.
The lateral academy is intended for qualified law enforcement officers who already have experience, while the traditional academy provides a path for new recruits entering the profession.
Applications are due October 11.
The academy is scheduled to begin January 17.
Bohner said filling the vacancies will require more people to consider careers with Indiana State Police.
“There’s a call to action for everybody out there because we need your help. We need out of this issue, and it takes everybody,” Bohner said.
ISP officials say anyone interested in becoming a state trooper can find additional information through the Indiana State Police recruitment website.
The agency’s staffing push comes as police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country continue working to recruit and retain personnel amid retirements and changing applicant pools.
For Indiana State Police, officials say the immediate goal is straightforward: fill vacant positions and put more troopers on Indiana’s roads and in its communities.
