ST. PAUL, Minn. – The difficulty law enforcement agencies have recruiting and retaining state troopers, police officers, and sheriff’s deputies is well-documented. Now, there’s another bill at the Minnesota state capitol aimed at helping solve part of that problem by focusing on the retention of Minnesota state troopers.
Mike Ledoux, president of the Minnesota State Troopers Association, who testified in the House State and Local Government Committee, says this bill enables state law enforcement officers to continue their service without facing financial penalties when they reach retirement age.
Under current law, the mandatory retirement age for Minnesota state law enforcement, including troopers and DNR officers, is 60. However, most troopers retire by age 55 because that’s when they mostly max out the amount of retirement benefits they’ll earn.
The bill before the Legislature, would allow troopers to retire for a day at age 55, so they can begin collecting retirement benefits. Then, they can rejoin the State Patrol and continue collecting retirement benefits while also collecting a paycheck.
The bill to retain Minnesota state troopers has bipartisan support.
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