Article: Budget woes handcuff State Police Overtime is cut, hiring postponed

The state budget crunch has forced the Massachusetts State Police to slash overtime and delay plans to hire more troopers, while its ranks have steadily shrunk because of retirements.

Kevin M. Burke, secretary of public safety, said the State Police has been spared layoffs in the recent round of budget cuts and has maintained adequate staffing levels, but does not have the money to hire and train a new class of recruits.

"I think the governor is very concerned, and he doesn't want to let it go much longer," Burke said during a telephone interview yesterday. "We have an older force and several hundred people who could retire tomorrow if they wanted to."

The department, which has 2,351 sworn ...

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