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Public Safety outlines staffing gains, equipment refresh and concerns about communications governance
Summary
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) updated the committee on trooper staffing improvements, planned radio and firearm replacement cycles, obstacles to adopting electric cruisers, and disagreement with a task force governance recommendation for public safety communications funded under Act 78.
Commissioner Jennifer Morrison and DPS leadership briefed the Appropriations Committee on the department's FY27 priorities, reporting modest improvements in state police staffing but persistent operational pressures and equipment needs.
State Police staffing: DPS and State Police representatives said the agency now has 323 sworn positions and 44 current vacancies, with 12 recruits in the academy who are not yet deployable. Officials noted the training and post-basic phases can make a hire effectively take eight months to reach full operational capacity, meaning the nominal vacancy picture understates near-term shortfalls. "We have 323 sworn positions... we've got 44 vacancies right now," a State Police representative said, adding that the effective shortfall is closer to 56 when…
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