Tennessee Highway Patrol faces staffing challenge, seeks to fill 130 vacancies

Oct. 3 is the deadline to apply to the Tennessee Highway Patrol for a career as a state trooper in time for the upcoming training academy program this winter.

According to THP Sgt. Charlie Childers, as of Sept. 21 there are around 130 vacancies on the force, which currently has 834 commissioned officers.

Mirroring national trends, there is a shortage of applicants at the THP. “If you’ve ever thought about a career in law enforcement, now is the time,” he said Tuesday.

Where in years past there might be several thousand applicants for a THP job training program, at times more recently the number has dipped to as low as around 500, he noted.

Childers describes the ideal state trooper job candidate as “anyone who aspires to serve their community, a person of integrity and pride, with a phenomenal work ethic.”

Successful candidates don’t need prior law enforcement experience and are paid during the 16-week training program, with weekends off.

Upon graduation, new troopers are paired with an experienced officer for 10 weeks of hands-on field training.

“Although you learn a lot in the academy, “ Childers said, “I feel the field training is probably the most crucial.”

Flexible duty stations are available across Tennessee, including in the vicinity of Hardin and McNairy counties, he said.

Applicants must be at least 21, and there is a mandatory retirement age of 60 for road officers. “Thirty-five is a prime age candidate now,” Childers observed.

A freshly graduated state trooper in Tennessee earns $46,056 annually, not including overtime, holiday pay, and insurance and retirement benefits. A certified officer who joins the THP with at least two years of experience earns $50,292 within six months of graduation, not counting extras.

Road officer salary currently tops out in excess of $68,000.

THP officers and immediate family members are also eligible for tuition discounts at Tennessee state institutions of higher education.

As a state trooper, “you’re going to have a lot of great and memorable days, and unfortunately you’re going to have some you’re going to want to forget,” Childers said.

But the bottom line, he said, is that the job is a satisfying career for people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, and “the Tennessee Highway Patrol is a great organization to work for.”

To apply online, visit www.jointhp.com.