Some state police agencies have been propped up with the help of federal stimulus money, but that they may still be subject to budget cuts, reports Stateline.org. In Tennessee, 13 small counties soon could have no state troopers. Pennsylvania may not be able to replace retiring officers. The head of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association said the state is facing “a crisis like we've never seen before,” reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
In Tennessee, 13 counties would have to rely on neighboring counties for police assistance if a 9-percent budget cut proposed by Gov. Phil Bredesen moves forward, according to the Associated Press. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has 553 troopers this year, compared with 590 in 1977 when there were almost 2 million fewer people living in the state.