Highway patrol touts Helene efforts as positive outcome of staffing increases

NASHVILLE — Leadership with the Tennessee Highway Patrol said recent staffing increases allowed the department to deploy around 200 troopers to Northeast Tennessee to help with recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Colonel Matt Perry, head of THP, updated the state Senate Transportation and Safety Committee Wednesday, pointing to the recovery efforts as a positive outcome of the staffing increases. "Because of our additional personnel, when Hurricane Helene hit West North Carolina and East Tennessee, we got to respond in force and provide a sense of security for that community," Perry said. "We didn't go up there as troopers trying to put criminals in jail — we went there to be a comfort to a community, and be seen, and to help." During his time in office, Gov. Bill Lee has prioritized increasing the number of state troopers in the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Last year, he added 370 positions, his fifth-consecutive year increasing the force. Despite the annual additions, there are a number of available spots left unfilled. There are somewhere around 1,000 troopers currently on staff with the THP, and more may be on the way. During departmental budget requests for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Safety requested an extra $43.6 million to add around 120 trooper positions. It was the largest staffing increase requested by any agency this year. With more troopers comes more traffic stops. Perry said THP traffic stops have increased from 400,000 in 2022 to 620,000 in 2025 — a 55% increase in three years. Perry said more troopers are now available to help out with a variety of scenarios, such as tornadoes or winter storms. He said THP helped run security and direct traffic during the MLB Speedway Classic in August. They've also been used as part of the crackdown on violent crime in Memphis. Currently, the state has deployed about 300 state troopers to take part in the Memphis Safe Task Force, a joint federal and state operation involving the National Guard, FBI, DEA and 13 other federal agencies. During the committee meeting, Memphis state Sen. Brent Taylor, R, thanked Perry for his department's assistance. "We send troopers," Perry said. "We don't say, 'No, we're too busy.' We don't send the few, we send troopers from all over the state, and troopers are willing and ready to go and work."