Idaho State Police Faces Trooper Recruitment Shortage in North Idaho Amid Compensation Gap

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 12, 2026

The Idaho State Police is struggling to fill trooper vacancies in north Idaho, with only 10 qualified applicants across the Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston regions ahead of a September 18 application deadline. Compensation is a central driver: ISP starting wages of $30.07/hour trail neighboring Washington State Patrol's entry-level salaries by roughly $28,000 annually, fueling attrition to better-paying agencies. A $6.5 million legislative pay increase fell short of ISP's $12.6 million request, and a broader funding bill that could have generated $10 million annually died in committee. The shortage signals a wider public-sector recruitment challenge where compensation gaps and rural location continue to undercut staffing pipelines.