Because of state budget cuts in Nebraska and Iowa, that 911 call is more and more likely to go to a local police officer or sheriff's deputy than a state trooper.

If a trooper is contacted, be prepared to wait longer than you used to.

It's all part of the numbers game that has lowered the number of state troopers patrolling the highways.

In Nebraska, the number of uniformed troopers is at a 21-year low. The number of Iowa troopers has dropped to a level last seen in 1964.

"We're just stretched thin everywhere," said Maj. Russ Stanczyk, who heads the field services branch of the Nebraska State Patrol.

Although officers such as Stanczyk say technology is helping the State Patrol do "more with less," having fewer troopers is translating into slower response times, especially at night and especially on less-traveled rural highways.

"People tell me they don't see a trooper like they used to," said Brian Petersen, president of the State Troopers Association of Nebraska, the troopers' union. "People will travel the Interstate across Nebraska and only see one, two or three cruisers."
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