The Wyoming Highway Patrol is seeking candidates for trooper, dispatcher, and port of entry positions statewide, according to a news release.
"Troopers work daily to ensure the roads are safe for the traveling public, and dispatchers and port of entry officers provide support services to the WHP as a whole to support the agency’s safety mission," according to the news release.
The Highway Patrol has about 30 openings for troopers, or about an 18 percent vacancy rate. The WHP's is fully staffed when it has 168 full-time sworn troopers.
"Other state patrols and state police agencies throughout the country are experiencing manpower concerns similar to those found in the Wyoming Highway Patrol," said Bill Panos, the director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

"This is challenging for our personnel and their families," Panos said in a prepared statement. "To respond, we’re actively recruiting more personnel, creating a great work environment, and improving the lives of our Troopers, Dispatchers and Port of Entry teams.”

The police departments of Cheyenne and Casper are experiencing similar shortages and are actively recruiting officers.

 

Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers' jobs may include traffic enforcement, drug interdiction, monitoring human trafficking, assisting homeland security, being assigned to a K-9 patrol unit, protection for the governor, working with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and working at ports of entry or dispatch.
People interested in becoming a member of the WHP can apply through the state’s Administration and Information website.
All candidates go through a state-approved screening and hiring process, but candidates for trooper also undergo additional tests and assessments, which include a physical fitness evaluation, psychological evaluation and a background investigation.

Once selected, troopers attend academy training.

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