Starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now going into its fourth year, the ranks of first responders have been drastically thinning.

You’ve heard about the shortage of personnel among volunteer firefighters, hospital staff and local police officers; the latest to raise a cry for help is the Pennsylvania State Police.

David Kennedy, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, has begun a public relations blitz to make Pennsylvanians aware of how dire the situation has become.

Acknowledging the dangers in police work, Kennedy asked the public to pray for the Pennsylvania police officers who have been killed so far this year in the line of duty - Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire, McKeesport officer Sean Sluganski and the most recent, Temple University officer Christopher Fitzgerald, son of the former Allentown police chief Joel Fitzgerald. “McIntire, Sluganski and Fitzgerald made the ultimate sacrifice; they are heroes,” Kennedy said in asking that state lawmakers provide funds for more backup.

Help may be on the way. In his budget address today, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro was to propose a three-year incentive of up to $2,500 a year for police officers, newly certified teachers and nurses in Pennsylvania. The governor’s office said the incentive is a tax credit designed to help address the difficulty in filling critical positions in public safety, health and education. It also follows through on a Shapiro’s campaign promise to help police departments recruit 2,000 more officers.

Kennedy said the biggest issue that law enforcement faces is the recruitment and retention of outstanding police officers. He said that many departments across the state cannot fill their ranks and that their numbers have dropped to the lowest ever.

Even before the pandemic struck in late 2019, recruitment was much lower than in previous years. “So dire, in fact, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police termed it a ‘crisis.’” Kennedy said.

It wasn’t just the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to this problem - 900 police officers died as a result of the pandemic nationwide. The murder of George Floyd and the following riots which gave rise to the call to “defund the police.”

“This made our jobs more dangerous and led to an exodus of officers,” Kennedy said. The resignation rate in 2020-21 increased by 18% and the retirement rate rose by 45%, according to a survey conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum.

The problem in Pennsylvania parallels the situation nationally. Things have gotten so bad that then-Attorney General Shapiro began a “hero-pay” retention bonus program for police officers who work in short-staffed departments.

The current effects of high inflation and the possibility of an economic recession add to the headaches of administrators trying to fill police jobs.

Kennedy insists that police staffing is no longer a “crisis,” but now has become a “full-scale catastrophe.” This means that there are not enough officers to protect the citizens of our Commonwealth. Kennedy said that this shortage gives criminals a numbers advantage. “They know officers are spread too thin,” he said.

Drawing on his own experience, Kennedy said when he entered the state police 28 years ago, he competed for a position with 10,000 other applicants. Last year, he added, the state police had just 1,000 applicants.

To make the job even tougher, local municipal police departments continue to end their operations because of the economics involved. This leaves the state police with the sole responsibility of covering these jurisdictions. Kennedy said the state police are now responsible for more than 85% of the state’s land mass. In addition, he said, troopers provide patrol duties in the cities of Philadelphia and Chester.

Kennedy and his association are calling for a dedicated stream of funding in the coming budget. “ With dedicated funding, our department can address many of the issues related to trooper recruitment and retention. It also would ensure we have the training in place to protect Pennsylvanians,” Kennedy said.

Since the state police came into existence on May 2, 1905, 102 troopers have died in the line of duty.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.