Trooper shortage hits states

WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is advertising on billboards for state highway patrol recruits because of a shortage of troopers.

"We have a hat just your size," says one sign with a picture of the trooper hat, USA Today reported Tuesday.

Officials canceled trooper training for several years in Oklahoma because of state budget woes but the state isn't the only one with a trooper shortage, USA Today said.

Louisiana officials said the state is about 50 troopers short and they are considering raising trooper pay. The Nevada Highway Patrol asked for state funding to hire 58 more troopers. In North Carolina, troopers parked empty cruisers on the state's highways over the Memorial Day weekend in an effort to slow speeders, the USA Today article said.

The shortage is "not just limited to state troopers," Michael White, associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the newspaper. "Most police departments, especially police departments in big cities, are in the same position."

Rising standards, including a growing requirement for a college degree, is partly responsible, he told USA Today.