CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Police has 40 vacancies and Col. Jan Cahill, West Virginia State Police (WVSP) Superintendent believes a larger number may be on the way as recruiting and retention have slowed.
Cahill appeared in front of the state House Finance committee last week with a budget presentation on the $96.6 million FY 2023 budget. Cahill asked lawmakers to consider an increase for locality pay for troopers in the eastern panhandle. He said that may help with recruiting and retention.
The superintendent said WVSP is facing the same issues as many law enforcement departments, saying “there is not the calling for public service there used to be.”
“I know you hear about the labor shortage all the time with doctors, nurses, EMTs, teachers, social workers. The state police, we are not immune to that either. It’s our number one challenge, recruitment and retention,” Cahill said.
Cahill said there are currently 660 troopers in the force and the 40 vacancies are even with a new class beginning recently. He said if WVSP wanted 24/7 coverage in all areas, between 750 and 800 troopers would be needed.
The superintendent told lawmakers in the meeting that WVSP has a hard time recruiting to the state’s busiest attachment — Martinsburg. He said there are 22 people assigned in Martinsburg and 41 people overall in Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson counties.
He said the locality pay would begin in the panhandles, with the hope of rising the squad numbers there and retaining those working. According to Cahill, states such as Virginia have locality pay taking into consideration the cost of living.
“We are competing with other states around the panhandles, the federal government and the private sector. We are not having those issues so much in the southern part of the state. When we test, it seems we have a decent compliment of people showing up in the south,” Cahill said.
Cahill hasn’t yet provided details of a locality pay proposal but that’s expected to come some time later in this legislative session.
Del. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, who supports locality pay, said WVSP and other state agencies are working on the structure for how locality pay would be set up.
He was one of the lawmakers in the meeting with Cahill and told MetroNews the cost of living is higher in his area than most parts of the state and locality pay makes sense — for all state workers there.
“Being able to attract troopers to the Eastern Panhandle is extremely difficult. That’s why we heard the urgency from Col. Cahill. We have the same issue when it comes to teachers and all state employees,” Barrett said.
“I’m going to be supportive for locality pay for all our state employees.”
Another proposal from Cahill for an increase of pay is to give a raise at enlistment of $3,800 a month, the same amount given upon graduation. Cahill said currently, troopers receive $3,210 per month at enlistment/swearing-in day.
“You’re getting it anyway at 25 weeks. I think it would make us a lot more competitive,” Cahill said.
Cahill also told lawmakers he expects a wave of retirements around the corner. He noted 71 members on the force are 50 years of age or older and 146 members between 45 and 49 years old.