South Dakota Highway Patrol facing retention, hiring challenges

(The Heart Sq.) – The South Dakota Freeway Patrol is dropping troopers to different companies and is dealing with a hiring problem, Secretary Craig Value informed the Joint Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.

The beginning pay for a trooper elevated by $1.50 in August to $25.11 per hour. That is nonetheless decrease than the preliminary wage for different regulation enforcement officers, Value mentioned. Sioux Falls law enforcement officials start at $27.68 per hour and the Fast Metropolis Police Police Division pays new hires $27.89.

The division is just not getting 100 candidates for brand new positions. In 2016, 241 individuals utilized. That quantity dropped to 67 in 2022, in keeping with Value. Not all the candidates met the stringent necessities. Solely 9 individuals have been supplied place in 2022, Value mentioned.

Thirty-five troopers left the division since 2017 whereas solely seven left the division from 2011 to 2016, in keeping with Value’s presentation.

The division is presently quick 22 troopers, Value mentioned.

“We’re going by way of the hiring course of,” Value mentioned. “Lessons will begin in January 2023.”

Lawmakers requested Value for a plan to handle the shortages.

“One of many issues I proceed to fret about is we take this low-wage technique after which we’re shocked that we’ve retention and hiring challenges,” mentioned Sen. Reynold Nesiba, D-Sioux Falls. “And what I used to be most involved about was that the secretary’s remark, that he wasn’t certain whether or not he was going to return again and ask for a much bigger funds. Once more, if we’ve retention challenges and we’ve hiring challenges I do hope that you’re going to come again with a plan and possibly it is not only a request for extra money nevertheless it’s a matter of adjusting the construction.”