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Idaho State Police seeks funding for fentanyl unit, forensic lab staff and housing as trooper vacancies climb
Summary
Agency requested enhancements for fentanyl investigations, a deputy forensic lab manager, housing in a remote location and conversion of contractors to full‑time investigators; director said vacancies and pay competition are hampering patrol staffing.
The Idaho State Police told the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Feb. 12 that it is seeking a range of budget changes for fiscal 2026, including resources for fentanyl enforcement, forensic staffing for a new laboratory, remote housing for personnel and changes to how certain IT positions are centralized.
Noah Peterson, budget policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, reviewed the Division of Idaho State Police request and said the division has 583.67 FTP and reported 38.67 positions vacant as of last August. Peterson said recent one‑time appropriations in fiscal 2023 and re‑appropriations in 2024 affected year‑to‑year expenditure comparisons.
“This enhancement added 10 FTP and $1,043,300 to create a unit with a focus on fentanyl trafficking and mitigation,” Peterson said of a prior appropriation. He also summarized a requested transfer of $4,995,500 and 37.48 FTP related to the highway distribution account (HDA) shift that agency officials said would allow patrol to maintain current operations if approved.
Colonel Bill Gardner, director of the Idaho State Police, told the committee he supports converting some…
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