Montgomery, Ala. – At a press conference Tuesday, officials from the Alabama State Troopers Association (ASTA) called on Governor Ivey and state legislators to increase funding for state troopers to combat dangerously low staffing levels at the agency.

ASTA President David Steward said that despite the growth of the economy and the stability of the general fund budget, troopers are still woefully understaffed and underfunded.

“There are less than 250 Troopers to serve all of Alabama, even though recent studies suggest that over 1,000 Troopers is the appropriate number for a state the size of Alabama,” Steward said. “At current staffing levels, there is one state Trooper for every 214 square miles in Alabama.”

Trooper presence on Alabama highways is the single largest deterrent of accidents. Despite this fact previous budget cuts have caused Trooper levels to dip 22 percent since 2014. During that time, auto accidents are up 16 percent, auto injuries are up 19 percent and auto fatalities are up 28 percent.

Steward says that trooper levels are a matter of life and death.

“Seconds count in an accident and troopers are having to cover hundreds of miles,” Steward said. “Often one trooper is handling multiple counties.”

According to a 2017 survey of Alabamians, 75 percent of respondents believe a lack of troopers is leading to unsafe roadways, 75 percent of respondents think troopers should receive more funding, even if it means making other cuts in the budget and 86 percent of Alabama respondents think troopers are underpaid.

For more information about how increasing funding for state troopers could save lives and make roadways safer, contact the ASTA at (334) 265-2782 or alabamatroopers@att.net.

The Alabama State Trooper Association consists of more than one thousand members who are active or retired employees of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and retired Alabama State Troopers.