State patrol struggling with recruitment

The Washington State Patrol is having trouble recruiting new troopers, and many department veterans are eligible for retirement at the end of the year.

The Daily Herald reported that many new hires end up leaving for jobs with local law enforcement agencies that pay better.

Capt. Monica Alexander said it’s a huge challenge for the patrol. The state patrol had 147 vacancies in its commissioned ranks as of Oct. 23.

To address the problem, patrol leaders and lawmakers have hired a consultant that will submit a study of possible solutions by December.

The patrol will fill some of the positions when about 25 people graduate from the next class of troopers on Nov. 19. But Alexander says more are needed.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 6:59 AM with the headline "State patrol struggling with recruitment."