Summary of Report 03-031

April 2003

Report Number 03-031

The Department of Public Safety (Department) has developed a plan to comply with a General Appropriations Act requirement to increase the number of troopers patrolling Texas highways by 170 by August 31, 2003. However, the Department's plan did not identify cost savings to fund these positions without additional appropriations.

• The Department of Public Safety (Department) has developed a plan to comply with a General Appropriations Act requirement to increase the number of troopers patrolling Texas highways by 170 by August 31, 2003 (77 Legislature, Rider 51). However, recently the Department has not been able to recruit as many trainees as its plan anticipated. Therefore, the Department may not have approximately 25 of the 170 additional troopers needed by August 31, 2003. In addition, key issues involving how this plan will be funded and the Department's potential noncompliance with its full-time equivalent (FTE) cap could also hinder the successful implementation of this plan.

• In an exceptional item included in its Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR), the Department requested $22.3 million in additional funding for the 2004–2005 biennium from the State Highway Fund (Fund 006) to comply with the requirement to increase the number of troopers. However, the Department's methodology for calculating the $22.3 million in additional funding was based on an analysis of certain costs that extend beyond the 2004–2005 biennium. Using a calculation focused on the cost associated with only the 170 additional troopers and their 14 direct support staff for the 2004–2005 biennium, we estimated the Department would need $19.3 million in additional funding. The Department anticipates it will need additional funding for these positions in future biennia as the new troopers are promoted through the trooper classification series.

• The Department included funds for 22 new administrative technician positions to support existing trooper positions in its exceptional item request for the 170 new trooper positions. Our analysis excluded the $834,082 that the Department included in its $22.3 million request for these positions. According to the Department, these 22 additional administrative technician positions are needed to support current troopers at various locations throughout the State.
  

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