Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) outlined staffing shortages, program priorities and training needs in a Feb. 14 Appropriations subcommittee hearing, with Commissioner Ronnell Higgins and Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Lachman answering detailed questions about personnel, crisis response and recruiting.

The department reported 928 state troopers on staff and said it estimates about 200 vacancies across the force. Higgins said the agency has reduced overtime by about 7.5 percent in recent months as it has tightened scheduling and operational controls, but noted a continuing need to free sworn troopers from administrative duties and replace them with civilian employees where appropriate.

“We're going to undergo…an analysis to determine how we can get troopers that are currently occupying administrative roles…back into positions in the field and identify civilians that can do that work,” Higgins said, adding the administration is looking at a multi‑year reallocation the department estimates could redeploy roughly 75 positions into patrol if supported.

The panel pressed the department on co‑responder crisis teams for mental‑health calls. Colonel Lachman said a federally funded co‑responder program operates in four troops now; Higgins said the department wants a broader roll‑out and to explore partnerships with fire, EMS or contract phlebotomy providers rather than having sworn troopers perform roadside blood draws.

Regarding impaired‑driving identification, the department said 14 troopers are trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). Connecticut officials are exploring whether to create an in‑state DRE training program to reduce travel and training costs and to offer training to local departments. “This is an issue…we need to train additional police and troopers in drug recognition as drug recognition experts,” Higgins said.

Lawmakers also discussed fleet and equipment needs. The department said average mileage on cruisers is roughly 100,000 miles and that vehicle leasing costs are rising; Deputy Commissioner Melanie Sparks said an offset in FY26 reflects prior lapses and an expected increase in lease obligations.

On community policing and task forces, the department described ongoing multi‑jurisdictional efforts to reduce violent crime and auto theft in cities such as New Haven and Waterbury through task forces that include municipal officers assigned to state teams; DESPP said some federal grants or JAG/ARPA funds help subsidize those local details.

Voluntary fire company funding also came up: the governor’s budget cut a limited‑highways reimbursement program; Higgins said prior funding was fully used and that volunteers rely on such support in many towns. Committee members signaled interest in revisiting the reduction.

Ending: DESPP agreed to provide the committee with data on co‑responder costs to expand the program, a plan and cost estimate for developing an in‑state DRE training program, and more detailed fleet and vacancy lists for follow‑up work group discussions.