Troopers assigned to ferry patrol

BREMERTON – More than a dozen Washington State Patrol troopers are being diverted to provide extra ferry security so the state can meet new mandates from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

About 17 of roughly 600 troopers statewide were shifted, bringing the total number of troopers assigned to ferry security to 70. But Homeland Security hasn’t provided any money to the patrol for taking on duties previously handled by the U.S. Coast Guard.

“We’re currently underfunded for what we need to do to meet the security mandates of the Department of Homeland Security,” patrol spokesman Jeff DeVere told the Kitsap Sun. “To accommodate those needs, we’ve had to pull officers from the field operations force, where they would be performing basic public safety functions.”

State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, contends that Homeland Security needs to provide money so the state can hire more troopers to patrol the roads.

“I certainly think there should be full responsibility” by the federal agency, said Haugen, Senate Transportation Committee chairwoman. “It’s having a huge impact on the state budget with no money from the federal budget to take care of this.”

A typical trooper earns $50,000 to $55,000, not including benefits, De-Vere said. That means the patrol is spending at least $850,000 on the 17 additional ferry security officers.

The patrol’s key concern is that diverting troopers to ferry security diminishes its focus on highways and roads, DeVere said.

“We’re still providing police services, but we also provide homeland security services now,” DeVere said. “Since our mission has been somewhat added to without federal funding, we’ve had to borrow resources from other areas.”