PENNSYLVANIA - During a time when police recruitment is down for most of the country, the Pennsylvania State Police are experiencing quite the opposite.
Applications to become a new cadet have increased 258 percent since the department suspended its 60 college credit requirements this past August.
A two-month period without the requirement saw 537 people per month take the state trooper exam. Previously, about 150 people took the exam every month over a six-month period.
"624 applicants who took the most recent trooper exam would otherwise not have been eligible," Pennsylvania police said.
Pennsylvania State Police applications surge as college credit requirement dropped
Pennsylvania State Police have seen a surge of applicants from people hoping to become state troopers in the month since Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro removed college credit requirements, with nearly half of the aspiring cadets previously being ineligible.
The highly successful move has prompted the department to open another application period to match the surging demand.
Applications for the current cycle remain open through January 31.
All applicants now must possess a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver’s license. They must be at least 21 and can’t have reached age 40 to enter the training academy. Cadets undergo 28 weeks of training, which the agency said is "paramilitary in nature." Applicants must also pass a written exam and go through a polygraph examination, background investigation, physical readiness testing and medical and psychological screening before they are eligible to train at the academy.
Upon completion of the training academy, cadets are promoted to trooper and receive an increase in salary, currently set at $66,911 annually, according to the agency.