Idaho State Police seek staff, forensic‑lab and fentanyl‑response funding in FY26 budget review

Idaho State Police Director Colonel Bill Gardner and Legislative Services analyst Noah Peterson outlined a package of FY26 budget requests and program changes at a Feb. 12 Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting, asking for new investigators and forensic staff, funding to finish a new Meridian forensic laboratory and a transfer to offset a highway distribution account reduction that would otherwise reduce law‑enforcement funding.

The request includes several personnel and equipment enhancements: a 10‑position fentanyl trafficking unit ($1,043,300), a 4‑person special investigations unit to handle criminal investigations at Department of Correction facilities ($757,300 and 4 FTP), a forensic deputy lab manager (1 FTP, $118,200), and a proposed transfer of $4,995,500 and 37.48 FTP to preserve patrol operations if the Highway Distribution Account shift proceeds. Other items included ILETS disaster‑recovery funding ($233,000), a two‑position digital‑forensics program transfer (net $0 but $203,700 in personnel), and SORNA compliance funding ($50,000).

Why it matters: committee members pressed the agency about staffing and capacity as Idaho police face rising demand. Noah Peterson told the committee the division has 583.67 FTP allocated and about a 92.5% average fill rate over five years, while Colonel Gardner described acute regional shortfalls in sworn troopers and high turnover in some areas.

Peterson summarized dedicated fund sources and one‑time appropriations that have driven recent budget changes, including a $26 million one‑time increase in FY2023 (combining enhancements and supplementals) and a re‑appropriation of $15.8 million into FY2024 for replacement items and fentanyl‑related work. He also noted the Project Choice Fund (vehicle registration fee increase from 2007), the Drug Enforcement Donation Fund (for evidence‑collection reimbursement and a 24‑hour anonymous drug hotline) and the Idaho Law Enforcement Telecommunications Fund (IELTS) as major dedicated funds. Peterson said the agency requested a $268,100 supplemental for a remote housing unit (originally planned for Mackay, moved to Fairfield) to support personnel in remote posts.

Colonel Gardner told the committee the agency has seized “over 65,000 fentanyl pills, over a pound of fentanyl powder, [and] 150 pounds of methamphetamine” from interdiction operations, and described recent saturation patrols that concentrate drug enforcement resources in high‑traffic areas. He framed several requests as necessary to maintain operations and to make contracted investigators eligible for POST certification by converting them to employee status. "Continuing that support, including the request that we have this year, to transfer that funding from operating expenses to personnel, is one of those steps that helps us move in the right direction," Gardner said.

Committee members focused questions on pay and retention. Senator Woodward expressed concern about growth in Idaho’s population and relatively smaller growth in trooper staffing; Gardner said remote areas are particularly challenged and cited trooper turnover and competition with city and county pay. Christine Otto, ISP chief financial officer, confirmed converting SACI investigators from contractors to employees is intended to allow post certification and to permit staff to perform investigative duties they otherwise could not.

On funding sources and proposals: Peterson reviewed a 2019 law (Senate Bill 1201) that phased reductions in Highway Distribution Account distributions to the Law Enforcement Fund; Peterson said the FY2026 transfer request would be needed for patrol to maintain current operations should the HDA distribution end. The governor recommended a $500,000 one‑time Millennium Fund appropriation for a fentanyl public‑awareness campaign; DFM Administrator Lori Wolf confirmed the governor’s recommendation is one‑time, and that Millenium Fund decisions will be considered by that fund’s committee.

Colonel Gardner also requested administrative subpoena authority narrowly targeted at financial records in drug and trafficking investigations, saying that faster access to financial information would improve investigations of organized criminal networks.

The committee did not take formal action on ISP enhancements at the hearing; members asked the agency for follow‑up material on vacancy rates, turnover, the status of the Meridian forensic lab and technical questions about the lab’s analytical capabilities.

Looking ahead: committee members asked Peterson and the colonel to provide additional documents and charts, including vacancy and turnover data and detailed breakdowns of federal grant timing. Gardner said he will continue to work with DHR and DFM on pay and retention initiatives and called the 8% CEC (cost‑of‑living) step for troopers a helpful start. The committee will consider the agency’s FY26 requests as part of the broader budget deliberations.