Dear Senator/Representative,
Let me help explain the devastating consequences of uncompetitive Trooper pay on public safety operations.
The Extreme Exposure of Our Troopers:
The WHP currently has 208 sworn positions, however, due to administrative duties and vacancies, the WHP may only have 15-20 Troopers actively able to patrol within the 9th largest state during any given day.
Extreme Geographic Strain
Wyoming has approximately 6,859 State Highway miles. This staffing crisis has created a situation where each Trooper actively patrolling is responsible for covering an overwhelming average of up to 343 miles of highway per shift, out of a total responsibility that spans 97,813 square miles (U.S. Census Bureau/Geographic Records) 33,000 miles of public roadways. (WYDOT)
Extreme Population Strain
With a 2025 estimated population of 590,169 residents (worldpopulationreview.com) and 8.7 million visitors annually (travelwyoming.com). A single Trooper per shift may be responsible for the safety of nearly 29,508 residents. This extreme ratio, compounded by Wyoming’s vast geography, can critically delay response times to major incidents and leave both our citizens and our officers at risk.
Safety
Troopers are often forced to work alone while covering vast areas with no end in sight. The stress is taking its toll on many of them, and they are regrettably looking for employment with other state agencies where staffing is more adequate and better compensated. Though they love our great state of Wyoming and the WHP, each Trooper has to live with reality.
The Dire Need for Retention
The continuous turnover of our Troopers leaving state employment for higher paying jobs has resulted in a revolving door process of hiring and training new Troopers. The cost to Wyoming taxpayers of the endless process of recruiting, hiring, and training new Troopers to replace those that are leaving is enormous. Vacancies in critical job positions go unfilled resulting in reduced or delayed services to the citizens of Wyoming and its visitors.
The Cost of Turnover
The cost of just recruiting and training a new Trooper is conservatively estimated to be $96,110.00 per Trooper. This does not include the costs associated with all of the equipment that is also issued to them. New Troopers also require 32 weeks (over 7 months) of training before they are even allowed to begin gaining experience by working on their own. Over the past 5 years (2021 – 2025), the WHP has hired 135 Troopers. 76 of them have since resigned to seek employment with other agencies with better compensation. This is an attrition rate of 56.29% and has cost the taxpayers of Wyoming over $7,304,000.00. This is not a new issue with our agency, since 2013, we have hired 271 Troopers and 144 of them have either resigned or been terminated, resulting in an attrition rate of 53.13% and $13.8 Million lost, not including issued equipment.
Investing in the future
The total investment required to align all Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers’ compensation with the 2024 Market Pay Policy (MPP) is $3,737,629.75. To provide fiscal context, this expenditure is less than the cost of repaving a four-mile stretch of a standard two-lane highway and goes a long way to lessening our attrition rate and the expenses to Wyoming taxpayers.. (WYDOT) (Salary Adjustment Report) (Pg. 1)
Recruitment Quality Crisis
Current compensation levels act as a significant deterrent, preventing many highly qualified applicants from considering a career with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. In addition, many candidates that do apply are immediately disqualified for not meeting the high standards that the citizens of Wyoming both demand and deserve.
Each day, Wyoming continues to experience a widening compensation gap relative to surrounding regional state agencies, which directly impacts our ability to recruit and retain public safety professionals. To address this structural deficit and ensure the long-term stability of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, we respectfully request your support of the Governor’s budget proposal. This investment is essential to bringing our agency into alignment with the current Market Policy Position (MPP), allowing us to maintain the high standards of service and safety that our state requires.
| Sincerely, Matt Arnell President Wyoming Highway Patrol Association |
