State Lawmakers approve raise for FHP Troopers and some others

Tallahassee,Fla. — The starting pay for FHP Troopers hasn't changed in more than a decade, but that is finally going to change.

Since 2010, the Florida Highway Patrol has lost nearly 1,000 troopers and some state lawmakers point to low pay as the reason.

Lawmakers have passed a 5 percent pay increase for all state-level law enforcement officers starting on July 1.

While the move will increase the pay for a starting trooper, Florida still pays less than many surrounding states.

Starting pay for an FHP trooper is currently about $34,000, in Louisiana it is $47,000 and in Mississippi it is $38,000.

The drop in troops has caused the number of citations issued in Florida to drop as well.

Officials hope the bump in pay bump will help fill hundreds of empty positions.