Commissioner says 2.5% pay raise needed to keep CT state troopers. GOP says state can't afford it

Yahoo

05-05-2025

Connecticut state troopers and sergeants would receive 2.5% wage increases on July 1 under a deal approved Monday by a key legislative committee.
The budget-writing appropriations committee voted overwhelmingly for two separate resolutions as lawmakers in the state House of Representatives and Senate voted separately. The Senate tally was unanimous as four Republicans voted with their Democratic colleagues in favor of the salary increase.
House Republicans, however, largely voted against the package as they have called for a two-year wage freeze for state employees in order to balance the two-year state budget that is currently being negotiated as the regular legislative session's June 4 end approaches.
The deal, reached with Gov. Ned Lamont's administration, covers about 880 troopers, sergeants and master sergeants who are in the troopers' union. The total cost of the deal is about $4.4 million in each of the next two fiscal years, and the money has already been set aside in the reserve for salary account.
A key point, officials said, is that better salaries help recruitment of high-quality troopers.
Public safety Commissioner Ronnell Higgins said that the state police currently compete with local municipal departments on salaries, adding that candidates from as far away as Georgia have come to Connecticut to work in law enforcement.
'Compensation is a way to attract qualified candidates,' Higgins told the budget committee in Hartford. 'It is also a way to keep those candidates as well.'
Later, Higgins said, 'Connecticut state troopers are the most highly trained law enforcement officers in the state. This agreement between the state of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Police Union is another step forward in our effort to recruit and retain members of the state's largest police force.'
Rep. Tammy Nuccio, the committee's ranking House Republican whose daughter is a state trooper, voted against the package as she was the primary writer of the Republican budget that calls for wage freezes for two years.
At the same time, Nuccio said there are times when there is only one trooper in rural northeastern Connecticut, which can lead to long response times when the trooper is far away from an accident or emergency.
'One trooper, 74 square miles is not good enough for me,' said Nuccio. 'In the northeast corner, you're risking it every day.'
The discussion of the contract spilled over into staffing levels, which has been an issue for more than 15 years. The state police peaked at 1,283 troopers under Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell in 2009, and the force has dropped by about 400 troopers as the numbers constantly fluctuate with retirements and new additions.
With a class of 21 troopers that recently graduated from the police academy, the state now has 919 troopers with another 66 potentially on the way as they accept offers for the next training class of troopers.
By July 2027, 147 troopers would be eligible for retirement, even though many continue working after the minimum retirement plateau, officials said.
Retired Sgt. Andrew Matthews, who serves as the executive director of the troopers' union, said troopers undergo severe stress at times in a dangerous occupation that can lead to post-traumatic stress injuries. Officials cited the death of Trooper Aaron Pelletier, who was struck on Interstate 84 in Southington while conducting a traffic stop on the side of the highway. The driver was recently sentenced to 18 years in prison as part of a plea bargain agreement, which generated criticism by members of law enforcement as a sentence that was too lenient.
'It's a dangerous job,' Matthews told lawmakers. 'PTSD, PTSI – post traumatic injury to the brain – is a real thing. … We have tried to reduce the stigma of asking for help. … We don't punish people for coming and asking for help.'
At the peak, thousands of candidates would apply for the state police, Matthews said. Now, about 900 people might apply initially and eventually a class at the police academy might lead to 30 new troopers actually joining the force.
Some lawmakers say the 2.5% increase could set a pattern for other state employees for future contracts.
'I think everybody knows this is an emotional contract for me,' said Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, a Newtown Republican who supported the contract. 'We're setting a pretty high bar for expectations.'
A key factor in the state police budget is the amount of money spent on overtime.
The latest statistics from the state comptroller's office show that the state spent $378 million for overtime during the 2024 calendar year across nearly 50 departments in state government. The highest amounts were in the state prison system with $113 million in overtime, followed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services at $62 million and the state police at $60 million, according to the records.
Among the top 25 individuals with the most overtime, 17 work for the state police, while six work in mental health facilities. The highest-paid was a state police dog handler, who received $439,000 overall, including the highest amount of overtime at $303,000. Through the years, he has handled dogs who search for fleeing suspects and missing persons at all hours of the day and night.
Lawmakers were surprised to learn that nearly 1,700 state employees in all departments were paid more than $50,000 in overtime alone, while nearly 2,600 employees earned more than $40,000 in overtime in addition to their salaries.
The state legislature voted in 2023 for a new, four-year contract that provides annual pay raises for troopers because many would-be troopers have been recruited by municipal police departments. With the state police lagging behind some other departments, the trooper trainee salaries were increased by 35% over several years. The trainees are now earning $67,279, up from $50,000 in the past.
Police recruiting has been difficult, advocates say, after anti-police rallies were held nationwide following the May 2020 death of George Floyd while handcuffed in police custody in Minneapolis. Scrutiny of police increased with bills passed around the country, including Connecticut, that many police officers said made their jobs more difficult on issues like police chases and searches.
'If we have the best troopers and officers, then we should be paying them,' said Col. Daniel Loughman, the highest-ranking uniformed officer. 'A lot of these police departments are going back to 20-year retirements. The good, talented people are going to go where the money is.'
Christopher Keating can be reached at [e-mail]