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Idaho State Police seeks new positions, lab funding and one‑time fentanyl campaign support as trooper vacancies persist
Summary
Director Col. Bill Gardner and analysts outlined ISP’s FY2026 request — including new investigators, forensic positions, and an ILETS disaster recovery site — and warned of recruitment and retention problems that have left parts of the state understaffed.
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee received a detailed FY2026 budget review of the Idaho State Police on Feb. 12, where agency leaders requested enhancements for forensic capacity, a special investigations unit for Department of Correction facilities, fleet and housing support for remote posts, and a disaster‑recovery site for the state law‑enforcement communications system.
Noah Peterson, budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, summarized the division’s request and several ongoing funding shifts. He said the division currently has 583.67 FTP allocated and reported 38.67 vacancies as of last August with an average fill rate of about 92.5% over five years. Peterson described a package of requests that included a 10‑position fentanyl unit ($1,043,300), conversion of forensic contract staff to full‑time positions, and an estimated $4,995,500 transfer tied to a Highway Distribution Account (HDA) shift to maintain patrol operations in FY2026.
Idaho State Police Director Col. Bill Gardner told the committee staffing is a central…
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