A reduced Alabama State Trooper presence across the state is having a negative impact on traffic safety.

“Our numbers are not growing,” Alabama Law Enforcement Agency trooper Sgt. Steve Jarrett said. “We also face budget cuts, and we are not able to hire more people because of funding.”

Jarrett said a recent study by the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety, which is independent from ALEA and the former Alabama Department of Public Safety, concluded that Alabama should be staffed at a minimum of 1,016 troopers including field supervisors assigned to patrol the highways throughout the state.

With the implementation of ALEA on Jan. 1, there are currently 431 troopers assigned to highway patrol.

“That is 431 troopers to cover 67 counties,” Jarrett said. “There are a lot of counties that only have one trooper assigned.”

Chilton County is an example because there are just a few troopers assigned to both Chilton and Autauga counties.

“If a wreck happens in Autauga County, then it takes a while for that trooper who is on duty to go over and handle that wreck,” Jarrett said. “If a crash happens in Chilton County while that trooper is handling the wreck in Autauga County, it may be a while for that trooper to get to Chilton for assistance.”

Jarrett said the goal for troopers is to prevent criminal activity as opposed to just responding to it.

“Ideally, we would like to have enough manpower so that we are out working things like checkpoints in all of the counties,” Jarrett said. “We have seen an increase in DUI cases because we don’t have enough manpower to set up checkpoints and check for people who might be drinking and driving.”

Jarrett also referenced the recent 50th Anniversary Bridge Crossing Jubilee where thousands of people flocked to Selma, requiring an increase in security.

“When nothing happens at an event of that magnitude, it is usually because of security measures that are going on behind the scenes,” Jarrett said. “We had to pull troopers from a lot of different counties though to work that event which meant you had two troopers working five counties that day.”

A federal grant has allowed the state to hire 21 extra troopers, which is the first new class since 2010.

The Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant is awarded for a maximum of three years.

The ultimate goal is for an increased presence throughout the state with more manpower that can respond to the various needs that might arise.

“With fewer patrols on the highways, you have people who have less of a fear of getting caught,” Jarrett said. “We just want to be highly visible. We are not able to be pro-active, but instead we find ourselves being reactive. Through public support, we hope to be given funding to hire troopers to get manpower. With an increased presence, we can significantly reduce crashes and promote compliance with the law.”