By Denes Husty III
Fort Myers News-Press
03/16/08

Florida legislators, grappling with budget cuts, are being asked to spend $6.9 million more for pay increases to offset a statewide shortage of nearly 200 state troopers.

In Lee County, there are five vacancies out of 21 trooper positions, equalling nearly 25 percent of the local force. Statewide, the trooper shortage is nearly 12.5 percent.

Other nearby counties also have trooper vacancies, although not as many as Lee.

Collier County has two vacancies out of 19 trooper positions. Charlotte County has one vacancy out of nine positions.

The main reason for the troopers’ exodus is low pay and the fact they can earn more by going to sheriff’s offices and police departments.

For example, former Highway Patrol Trooper Greg Edison, 37, who had 16 years’ experience with the FHP, quit the agency, creating one of the five vacancies here.

He joined the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and is making about $13,000 more a year than he did with the FHP.

“I can’t explain why troopers’ salaries are where they are. We haven’t kept pace with inflation and other costs and are not competitive with other agencies,” said state Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples.

For example, a trooper with 10 years or more of experience can get a raise of $10,000 or more by becoming a Lee sheriff’s deputy.

“There’s a great demand for our troopers because of their training and professionalism,” FHP Lt. Col. Ernie Duarte said.

Col. John Czernis, FHP director, is asking for $6.9 million more in pay increases for his 1,600 officers in next year’s budget to help stop his troopers from being lured to better paying jobs and to fill vacant positions.

Troopers retroactively would get $500 more for each year’s experience — tacked onto a base pay of $33,977 for new officers — with a cap of $5,000.

The pay increase would be funded by higher service charges and fees for those who have their licenses reinstated after suspensions and revocations for DUIs and other charges, and who are penalized for making late payments for vehicle registration renewals.

The bill, for example, would increase the service charges from $35 to as much as $75 for license suspensions and revocations, depending on the type of charge. Amounts ranging from $8 to $25, depending on the type of service charge or late fee, would go into a fund to increase troopers’ wages.

The higher pay will hopefully fill depleted trooper ranks and stop officers from leaving, Duarte said.

However, getting lawmakers to increase fees, while they are considering lopping $3.7 billion from next year’s $70 billion spending plan, seems like an uphill battle.

Gov. Charlie Crist and fellow Republicans in the House and Senate have said increased taxes and fees are off the table.

The FHP bill, however, may be viewed differently, said Rep. Nick Thompson, R-Fort Myers.

“I wouldn’t look at this as a fee increase that affects innocent people. I consider this enhanced punishment for criminals, and in that light, I’d support it,” he said.

State Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, said he needs to study the measure. He said increased fees, which he opposes, caused him concern.

But he also said he saw good points in Thompson’s view of the matter.

“We are certainly aware of the need to get more money for our troopers,” Aubuchon said. “We really want to clamp down on DUIs this year ... if the increased fees are paid by people who’ve been convicted of DUI, then I could be OK with that.”

Saunders said “anything we can do to be able to increase troopers’ salaries, I’m in favor of. We need to keep people at the highway patrol.”

For that reason, Saunders said several years ago, he supported a measure to increase pay of troopers in high cost of living areas like Southwest Florida.

Concerns

Recent high profile crashes across the state have raised public safety concerns about the trooper shortage.

There were only two troopers on patrol on the midnight shift when a 70-vehicle crash on fog- shrouded Interstate 4 in Polk County occurred last month.

That’s also the average number of troopers on patrol in Lee County during the midnight shift, which is standard procedure for that time period, Duarte said.

Locally, budget cuts also have dwindled trooper ranks.

There were 23 trooper position in Lee County in 2003: now there are 21, Duarte said.

As ranks of troopers shrink, officers are often reassigned to other areas because of need, such as increased calls for service, he said.

Despite being spread thin, troopers have been able to cope so far, he said.

The number of fatalities in traffic crashes statewide, for example, decreased from 3,533 in 2005 to 3,365 in 2006, while 2007 statistics are not yet available. In Lee County, fatalities decreased from 150 in 2005 to 121 in 2006.

But officials are concerned with the shrinking number of troopers, the downward trend of crashes could creep back up.

The reason: Because there are less troopers, there are fewer of them on patrol.

The most proactive way to encourage drivers to obey traffic laws is the presence of troopers, Duarte said.

“There’s nothing as effective as seeing the black and tans on the road,” he said.

Former trooper Edison, for example, is no longer on patrol in his black and tan vehicle. He now rides a green and white Lee sheriff’s motorcycle.

Edison said he had been on motorcycle patrol in Jacksonville with the FHP, but when he transferred to Fort Myers, the local unit didn’t have motorcycles; the sheriff’s office did, so he signed up.

In addition to the motorcycle, another plus is the sheriff’s pay rate is better and he needs it to help support his two sons, Edison said.

His annual pay at the FHP, Edison said, was $38,000, including a $5,000 bonus for the higher cost of living in Fort Myers.

His starting annual wage with the sheriff’s office — based on experience — was $49,000. That rose to $51,162 by October because of an increase approved by county commissioners.

“I wouldn’t make that if I was a lieutenant there. They’re losing a lot of good people because of that,” Edison said of the FHP.

Edison’s story is not unusual, Duarte said.

“It’s a microcosm of what’s happening in many counties in Florida,” he said.


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