When David Kennedy took the test to become a Pennsylvania state trooper in 1994, he was among about 10,000 applicants.

“The last testing cycle, last year, only about 1,000 people applied, and only about 700 actually showed up for the test,” he said.

At a time when more municipalities are relying on state police to provide protection, the numbers of troopers are struggling to keep up.

Two-thirds of Pennsylvania municipalities rely on state police for part or full time patrol services in lieu of a full-time local police force.

Locally, they include Lower Towamensing, Eldred, Polk, Chestnuthill, Ross, Washington, and Penn Forest townships, and Summit Hill and Lansford boroughs.

Chestnuthill Township Manager Dave Albright said the township is grateful to Pennsylvania State Police for any coverage they can provide the township.

“In general, we’re happy with the state police coverage that we have,” Albright said. “Obviously, we appreciate as many hours of coverage as we can get for our township.

As an example, Albright said that whenever the township calls them for issues with vandalism at the park, they make it a point to come and take the report.

“I think we have a great rapport with them,” he said. “No issues.”

Chestnuthill is one of the larger townships in the area that rely on police coverage.

In 2013, 1,683 municipalities relied on state police, either full time or part time. By 2021, that number had climbed to 1,721.

“We’ve known for years there’s been a shortage,” Kennedy said. “The glaring problem is the lack of people signing up. There’s been there’s been a steady decline for years.”

Now president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, Kennedy is working to bring attention to the need for more troopers.

On Feb. 15, he testified before the state House Policy Committee.

“We need help,” he told them. “The biggest issue law enforcement faces is the recruitment and retention of good police officers.”

“The Pennsylvania State Police is blessed, but with all we’re doing, we’re falling short,” he said.

Why the numbers are stagnant

The COVID-19 pandemic, lagging salaries, lenient treatment of aggression against police, and extensive press coverage of police misconduct have all contributed to the difficulty of getting and keeping troopers, Kennedy said.

“Police staffing is no longer a crisis; it is a full-scale catastrophe. We simply don’t have enough officers to protect the citizens of this commonwealth. That’s the truth. If it’s one thing a criminal knows - it’s a numbers advantage, and they know our officers are spread far too thin. The result: Increased crime and violence is taking place all across Pennsylvania,” he wrote in a recent editorial.

Kennedy cited the recent deaths of three troopers.

Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire, McKeesport Police Officer Sean Sluganski and Temple University Officer Christopher Fitzgerald.

Times have changed, he said, and not for the better.

“Back in the day, put your hands on a police officer, you went to jail,” he said.

Now, charges are often plead down, sometimes without even asking the officer involved.

“It’s a dangerous job, and criminals are emboldened. There’s no accountability any longer. They don’t think about that anymore,” he said.

Kennedy also took aim at viral news of the few bad apples among the ranks.

He cited as an example the May 25, 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Unfortunately, police officers are painted with a broad brush,” he said.

“We’re fighting against a 24-hour news cycle,” Kennedy said.

He also said news stories are too often headlined as “cop kills man” instead of “police officer shoots to protect.”

“You’re putting your life on the line every day, and you’re going to be judged by a split second decision,” he said.

Kennedy said state police do their best to keep the wrong applicants of their ranks, and to weed out bad cops.

“Some of the people who are applying are people who you would prefer to not be on the job.

“Police officers are honorable men and women. No police officer likes a bad cop,” he said.

Recruitment efforts

“We’ve created a new division, the Office of Community Engagement. They go out into community to recruit,” he said.

State police have also established Camp Cadet and now the Hill Impact program for 16-20 year olds.

“It’s like a mini-state police academy. They’ll learn what we do as police officers,” Kennedy said.

“We host 26 Camp Cadet programs for 13-17-year olds across the Commonwealth, said PSP Communications Director Myles Snyder.

“These programs are week-long camps designed to introduce young people to the world of law enforcement, familiarize them with PSP, and teach leadership, discipline and teamwork.

“In the last two years, we also introduced programs to continue our efforts to reach a younger audience within the communities we serve.

“The Hill Impact Program and Law and Leadership Program focus on 15 – 39-year olds, and introduce them to a more detailed set of instruction regarding preparation for the PSP academy, physical fitness, and familiarity with the Crimes Code and Vehicle Code.

“These programs are meant to be a bridge to applying with our department,” Snyder said.

As another effort, then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro initiated a ‘hero-pay’ retention bonus program for police officers who work in short-staffed departments.

Kennedy wrote in his editorial that “one item that can and should be done quickly is a dedicated funding stream for our department in the next state budget.

“We must recognize the first duty of government is the safety of its citizens. With dedicated funding, our department can address many of the issues I’ve laid out here related to trooper recruitment and retention,” he wrote. “It also would ensure we have the training in place to protect Pennsylvanians.”

The trend is reported nationwide. From March 2020 to August 2022, the number of local law enforcement employees decreased by 4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau.

For information about becoming a state police trooper, go to https://www.patrooper.com/apply-now.html Terry Ahner contributed to this report.