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By Mike Ward
Austin American-Statesman
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Bigger Trooper Salaries?
If Texas wants to improve its competitive edge in filling its growing number of vacant state law enforcement jobs, it’ll have to pay more — a lot more, at least $50.2 million for the next two years in just four agencies.
That’s the conclusion of a 55-page study released today by the State Auditor’s Office on an increasingly nagging question at state law enforcement agencies: Why can’t we fill our vacant jobs?
The state employs 4,339 full-time law enforcement officers, primarily at the Texas Department of Public Safety (80 percent), the Parks and Wildlife Department (12 percent), the Alcoholic Beverage Commission (6 percent) and the Department of Criminal Justice (2 percent, not including prison guards).
That total is three percent of the state workforce.
Fact: State taxpayers spent $246 million on base pay, hazardous duty pay and overtime pay, and an additional $6.18 million in supplemental pay for things such as certification, extra schooling and bilingual-certified officers.
Fact: Turnover in those jobs was six percent in fiscal year 2007. Statewide turnover was 17.1, according to the study.
The study also found parity in the complexity of responsibilities of senior-level officers in the four agencies. Translation: They’re not being overpaid compared to the rank-and-file they supervise.
The report confirms many of the factoids that have been flying in recent months, as the Sunset Review Commission suggested tweaking DPS’ career ladder to try to keep more of its jobs filled, and the criminal justice department is poised to ask the Legislature to raise salaries to try to fill some of the 3,000 or so correctional officer jobs that are vacant.
But it also holds few surprises, but promises to add to the building chorus of calls for higher pay for state troopers, game wardens, prison guards and others when the Lege convenes in January.