Las Vegas Sun

November 14, 2009

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Bill seeks higher pay for Highway Patrol troopers

Friday, Feb. 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

AB145, introduced Thursday, would set pay for the troopers at or above the average salaries paid by the state's six largest police departments.

A survey conducted by the Nevada Highway Patrol Association shows the top salaries paid to NHP troopers, sergeants and lieutenants are 4 percent to 20 percent lower than other police officers are paid.

"What we need to do is once and for all put the pay issue to rest and then they won't see us here any more," said association lobbyist Gary Wolff. "It makes it fair. It's an absolutely fair bill."

Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, said she introduced the bill because she's concerned about NHP officers jumping ship for higher-paying jobs at other departments. It costs the state about $50,000 to fully train a new trooper.

The NHP's starting salary of $31,042 for new troopers is close to what the Sparks Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff's Department pay, and it's 9 percent higher than what the Reno Police Department pays rookies.

But it's 20 percent lower than the $37,163 starting pay at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

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