INDIANAPOLIS (July 14, 2006) - Governor Mitch Daniels and Indiana State Police (ISP) Superintendent Dr. Paul Whitesell today announced the largest recruitment class in the 73-year history of the state police, part of the governor's plan to strengthen the state police. The 160 person entry-level class is more than twice as large as any previous class and will begin training in January 2007, with a graduation goal of 150 troopers. The ISP will graduate its first lateral training class in November 2006.

"A major objective of our administration has been the strengthening of the state police and it's restoration to elite status among all American law enforcement agencies," said Daniels.

The governor said last year he wanted 200 more troopers on Indiana's roads by 2008. Additional updates on ISP progress include:

• DNA from every felon in the state prison system is being collected to populate the state's DNA databank to better and more quickly solve crimes. More than 25,000 samples are collected annually with the expectation that database matches will increase by more than 70 percent.
• A backlog of more than 1,200 DNA cases in ISP labs is expected to be eliminated by 2008 by hiring 25 new forensic scientists to help process cases and utilizing more than $2 million in federal funding to outsource cases to private labs.
• ISP is hiring and retaining highly-qualified lab personnel by increasing salaries more than 30 percent for forensic scientists to ensure salaries are competitive with salaries offered by local labs and surrounding states.
• Salaries for first-year troopers increased 20 percent from $32,760 to $39,312, making the starting salaries more competitive with other states and law enforcement agencies. More than 3,500 applications have been received during the current application period beginning in March 2006 - a 600 percent increase.
• Career troopers received salary increases of at least 1.75 percent. In Fiscal Year 2007, $2.2 million more will be spent on these increases.
• ISP is implementing a system to streamline administrative processes through the use of electronic tickets, crash reports, and case reports. 800 laptop computers are being deployed into the field to ensure that troopers spend more enforcement time on the road and less time on administrative duties.
• A new $4 million public safety center is being built along the Indiana Toll Road at no cost to the state.
• Funding of more than $6 million annually was secured for ISP operations along the Toll Road from the toll road concession agreement.
• Capitol Police officers will be added to a salary matrix in 2007 to improve officer recruitment and retention in order to achieve authorized department strength. The change resulted in officer salary increases of as much as 39 percent.
• A backlog of more than 8,600 drug cases at ISP labs has been eliminated. These cases delayed prosecution of methamphetamine and other drug offenders. New cases are now processed in a timely manner.
• In the next six months, approximately 50 state police currently staffing Indiana's gaming boats will return to road patrol.

Media contact: Jane Jankowski, Office of the Governor, 317/232-1622, jjankowski@gov.in.gov
Media contact: Brad Rateike, Office of the Governor, 317/232-1800, brateike@gov.in.gov