Connecticut State Police to Lose 150+ Troopers in Two Years

The Connecticut State Police are staring down a staffing crisis that could shake up public safety across the state. Nearly 20% of troopers can retire by the end of 2027, and recruitment isn’t keeping pace.

State leaders, union officials, and communities from Hartford to New Haven are wrestling with how to keep policing effective. They’re also trying to adapt to this new era of accountability and public scrutiny.

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Retirement Wave Threatens Trooper Ranks

Connecticut’s state police force is on the edge of a big demographic change. By December 2027, about 175 troopers—almost one in five—will be eligible to retire.

In just the next two months, 88 troopers will hit that milestone. This isn’t just a numbers game; it’s a real public safety worry that could touch highways, rural areas, and city corridors from Bridgeport to Waterbury.

Staffing has already slipped well below what lawmakers once said was necessary. The current force is around 950 troopers, far short of the mandated 1,248 and nowhere near the historical peak of 1,283 from over 15 years ago.

The gap keeps growing, even as demand for police services stays steady—or even goes up in some places.

Specialized Units Feeling the Strain

Specialized units are getting hit the hardest. The state police traffic unit, which is crucial for highway safety on I-84, I-91, and I-95, has dropped from 62 members in 2018 to just 15 in 2024.

That means fewer patrols focused on speed enforcement, commercial vehicle checks, and crash investigations. These issues really matter in commuter-heavy towns like Stamford and Norwalk.

With fewer people, the troopers who remain have to cover larger areas. Towns that rely on state police—especially in rural parts far from big departments in New London and Middletown—feel the pinch the most.

Recruitment in a Post-Pandemic, Post-2020 Climate

Getting new troopers in the door has gotten a lot tougher. State Public Safety Commissioner Ronnell Higgins says Connecticut isn’t alone; police departments all over the country are seeing fewer applicants.

Interest in law enforcement has dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic and the intense scrutiny that followed George Floyd’s death in 2020. Younger candidates weigh the job’s stress, criticism, and accountability pressures against other careers, and plenty decide to look elsewhere.

The result? A thinner pipeline of recruits right when the state needs them most.

Aggressive Year-Round Recruitment Push

The Connecticut State Police have kicked off a more aggressive, year-round recruitment campaign. Instead of waiting for testing cycles, recruiters now go straight to where potential candidates hang out:

Gyms, hoping fitness-minded young adults might be up for the challenge

Military bases, reaching out to disciplined folks coming back to civilian life

Colleges and universities, including historically Black colleges along the East Coast, to pull in a wider range of applicants

The goal? Make policing look like a solid, respected, and stable career again—whether someone grew up in Danbury, studies in New England, or serves at a base out of state.

Overtime Costs and Pay Raises: Short-Term Fixes?

With fewer troopers on the road, overtime has become the band-aid keeping things running. In 2024 alone, Connecticut spent about $60 million on overtime for state police.

Some troopers, working extra hours to fill gaps, have seen their total earnings shoot past $400,000 a year. Recent pay raises and higher starting salaries for trainees aim to make the job more appealing.

Better pay can grab attention from candidates in competitive job markets around Hartford and New Haven. But plenty in the ranks say money alone won’t fix what’s broken.

Accountability Laws at the Center of the Debate

Lawmakers and officers both point to Connecticut’s police accountability laws as a big factor in recruitment and retention. These laws, passed after national calls for reform, tried to boost transparency and responsibility in policing.

Critics inside law enforcement argue some parts go too far, making it harder to do the job and exposing officers to what they see as too much personal risk. A few veteran troopers now tell younger folks to look for work outside Connecticut—or even outside law enforcement entirely.

Searching for Balance: Accountability and Effective Policing

Republican and Democratic leaders both admit things can’t keep going like this. Connecticut needs to find that tricky balance: keep officers accountable, but don’t tie their hands when it comes to protecting people.

Folks all over the state—whether they’re in New London by the coast or living in Waterbury and Middletown—are watching closely. This debate will decide how fast troopers show up in a crisis, how often you spot them on the highway, and, honestly, whether people feel safe just going about their day.

Retirements are speeding up. Recruiting is getting tougher. Lawmakers at the Capitol have some big decisions ahead—ones that could either help Connecticut rebuild its police force or pile even more work onto too few troopers.

Here is the source article for this story: CT state police face loss of 150+ troopers in next two years. ‘It’s a huge problem’: lawmaker

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