Find Out Why 33 Washington State Troopers Quit Just This Year

You may have seen the headlines: Washington State Trooper Now Hiring. The agency is actively recruiting new applicants to fill openings. 80 are eligible for retirement, but another 33 quit. I was surprised to learn why.

Apparently the Troopers are one of the lowest-paying law enforcement agencies.

That really surprised me considering how tough and dangerous their job is.

But some law enforcement agencies (who are also actively recruiting to fill positions vacated by retirement) pay as much as $2,000 a month more! That's a lot of dough.

So many young people are starting with the Troopers to get trained and certified, then switching to other jobs for better pay.

When members of their team leave unexpectedly, it requires colleagues to work longer hours to make up for unfilled shifts. This lowers morale, making other jobs more attractive to those willing to stick with the agency.

The problem is one officials are actively working to address.

I vote to increase their pay. I can't tell you how many times I had a problem on the side of the road and Troopers came to the rescue. They deserve to be taken care of.