WRIC 8 News reported that Virginia State Police (VSP) is facing a staffing shortage. The agency said it is already taking the necessary steps to fill 351 vacancies. It is also encouraging new troopers to keep their current positions.
Pathway fo Troopers Program
Virginia State Police has a newly-expanded “Pathway to Troopers” program as one way that to fill spots and strengthening the department. That program has already seen some success.
Applicants for the program must be 21 years old when they graduate from the academy. The program finds jobs in the field while those applicants wait to apply to the Trooper Basic Session Academy.
Virginia State Policeman Lt. Patrick Green said that 10 applicants have already completed the “Pathway to Trooper” program and nine of them are already in dispatch. He added that the agency expects those numbers to climb.
Green said:
“That’s why we developed this program, actually — to just try to make a dent in some of those vacancies that we do have, and also to prepare for the future by attracting young men and women that are interested in a career in law enforcement.”