A review of state payroll records by The Star-Ledger of Newark found six of the nine troopers assigned to the squad were among the top 20 overtime earners in the division last year. And most bolstered their salaries by 50 percent or more.
The six troopers tallied a combined $275,549 in overtime, or an average $45,924 each. That was four times the average paid to troopers who earned overtime last year.
The squad's leader earned $63,221 in overtime and $167,890 overall, topping all other troopers, including Superintendent Rick Fuentes, who earned $144,966.
And through September of this year, seven of the troopers were among the top 22 overtime earners, having tallied $264,313. And with about $50,000 in overtime, the squad leader is again on pace to earn more than any other trooper.
The overtime is ultimately paid by the Turnpike Authority and commuters, who face a 53 percent toll increase on Jan. 1 to help pay for a decade-long, $7 billion capital program to widen the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
Lt. Stephen Jones, a state police spokesman, told the newspaper that the division closely monitors overtime and reviews schedules to reduce costs. He said only a handful of troopers are trained for construction zones on the turnpike and, with the immense amount of work being done, the extra pay was a "necessary expense to take care of business."
"There's a limited pool of troopers to draw from, and we can't afford to take troopers from other assignments and assign them to that unit at this point," Jones said.
Turnpike Authority Spokesman Tom Feeney, which reimburses the state police for patrolling the highway, said the division does "an excellent job" controlling costs. He also noted that the division reduced its budget for manning the turnpike and the parkway by $1.3 million in 2012, compared with 2010.
"The amount they've spent on overtime has been in line with our expectations and seems entirely appropriate," Feeney said. "Any discussion of who makes how much or how it compares to what others make seems very much beside the point."
The squad on the Turnpike is responsible for supervising work zones, including making sure cone lines and barriers are placed at proper distances, and giving drivers enough space to slow down before merging, Jones said. The squad also watches over any other troopers who may be assigned to construction details, he said.
"When traffic patterns are changed, there's a science as to how to do that safely," he said. "That unit contains all the experts in that field for the Turnpike. Really it's about safety and we can't compromise on that."
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Information from: The Star-Ledger
http://www.nj.com/starledger
