Paul Hammel
LINCOLN — Six new troopers were sworn in on Friday — which is said to be the smallest graduating class ever for the Nebraska State Patrol, though a patrol official expressed hope that recruiting will turn around.
Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the Patrol, said a new recruit class of 17 will begin training in January.
“We hope that begins a new trend,” Bolduc said. “We don’t think this (six new troopers) will be the standard, this will be a one off.”
Interest in law enforcement as a career has slumped nationally in recent years, in part due to the negative publicity following cases like the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, and in part due to the demands of the job. The labor market is also tight.
Young people seek more flexible hours and guaranteed time off, according to a report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Mandated overtime and missing holidays with family are less appealing to Millennials and members of Generation Z,” concluded the report, entitled “A Crisis for Law Enforcement.”
Retirements and resignations are outpacing the number of new recruits, according to a report by The Marshall Project. It cited government figures indicating that the number of local law enforcement employees had declined by 4% from March 2020 to August 2022 and that government workers as a whole decreased by 5%.
A national trend
“This is a national trend,” Bolduc said. “We’re thankful for their willingness to step up and serve.”
The State Patrol, according to its annual report filed earlier this month, added 16 new recruits earlier in 2023.
But even with the six new troopers who began work Friday, the state law enforcement agency has 68 vacancies in its authorized strength of 482 sworn positions, which is one less vacancy than in February ,when staffing was described as the worst ever.
Eleven recruits began training this fall, but only six graduated Friday.
Bolduc said that was a higher-than-normal washout rate and said recruit classes typically lose only only a couple of candidates to injuries or other factors.
Some decide ‘this isn’t for me’
“Sometimes, people get into the process and decide this isn’t for me. And that happens,” he said.
The state has increased trooper paychecks — a record 22% increase in trooper salaries was effective July 1 — but the hike came as other, competing law enforcement agencies also upped their pay.
Bolduc told the new troopers they will see “the good, bad and the ugly” of society, but also will reap the rewards of serving the public and making a difference.
He noted that troopers had “two very close calls” this past week, including a trooper who was seriously injured Monday near Ashland when a teen driver rammed his cruiser during a high-speed pursuit.
“You signed up for a challenging career,” he said.
Friday’s graduation ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda also included speeches from Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers. Secretary of State Bob Evnen administered the oath of office. The hour-long ceremony ended with the bagpipe-and-drum corps of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office marching out with the new troopers.
They are: Elizabeth Forbes of Fullerton, whose duty station will be Nebraska City; Braden Heidbrink of Lincoln, to duty in Beatrice; Spencer Kort of Schuyler, to Beatrice; Chad Reutlinger of Lexington, where he will be stationed; Marco Vera Chavez of Ord, to Alliance; and Rylan Weaver of Wakefield, to Omaha.