NC Highway Patrol combats trooper shortage with special recruitment program

WLOS, NCSHP, CNN

By Marc Liverman

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — The North Carolina Highway Patrol is implementing a new recruitment program for the third time ever. It comes as the agency faces a significant shortage of troopers, with nearly 200 positions across the state going unfilled.

Lieutenant Josh Dowdle said his troop, which covers the state’s 17 most western counties, has 31 openings. That’s about a sixth of Troop G’s total number of positions.

“We’re just not able to make much ground on those vacancies,” Lt. Dowdle said.

He added that the need is only exacerbated by Western North Carolina’s massive population boom.

“It’s kind of the same thing all across the state. Just the number of troopers has maintained the same, but more and more people, more and more vehicles, more and more visitors to the state,” Dowdle said.

The law enforcement agency has come up with a way to change all this: by paying a full cadet rate to attend basic training. Dowdle explained that participants also receive benefits and will be able to start building towards a full state retirement right away.

Dowdle said that filling these positions is crucial in keeping North Carolina roads safe.

“Some people think that our guys are just out there just for the sole purpose of pulling people over and writing tickets, but the mission that we have given our troopers is to go out there and try to save lives,” Lt. Dowdle explained.

As for what’s stopping recruits from applying, he said it mostly comes down to time and money.

“It’s just a huge commitment, and I think some of that was a roadblock for people,” he said

He’s hoping this program will change that.

Anyone interested in enrolling as a highway patrol recruit can learn more at ncdps.gov.

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