As state lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett face what will be a challenging budget plan for 2012-13, there should be careful consideration for the impact of budget cuts on the Pennsylvania State Police.

An internal state police document, obtained by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, suggests dire consequences if a 5 percent cut in department spending is imposed. The internal document says police response time would suffer and there would be degradation in specialized services that state police experts and labs provide to law enforcement in communities across the commonwealth.

Although Bruce Edwards, spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, denies it, there might be some scare tactics in the internal report predicting long delays in police response, with the hope that the threat of degraded service would help state police avoid a 2012-13 budget cut. But Edwards insists that a 5 percent cut would force the layoff of 400 to 500 troopers. If that happens, it would be the first state police layoff in Pennsylvania’s history.

Already, the state police force of 4,400 troopers is several hundred below the optimal level. And with 150 troopers retiring in a typical year, layoffs at this time would magnify problems — and would be a mistake.

Additionally, the baby boom retirement wave is moving through the state police ranks, with 1,500 troopers becoming eligible for retirement in the next five years.

Beyond the harmful impact of layoffs, the prospect of shutting down temporarily the state police academy cadet training program would compound the problems by shutting off the pipeline supplying replacements for retiring officers.

The internal state police document suggests budget cuts would mean no cadet classes until July 2013. Such a move would be shortsighted because, unlike many other jobs where qualified workers can be found in the marketplace, state police hiring requires about a year’s worth of specialized training. That training cannot be accelerated to accommodate a sudden shortage.

Already, the state police have decided to put off two cadet classes this spring. Trimming training further would pose a serious problem over the next five years.

As the former state attorney general, the state’s top law enforcement officer, Corbett should take a lead role in helping the state police avoid draconian cuts.

For many, mostly rural, communities, state troopers are the only police. In fact, two-thirds of the state’s municipalities receive either full- or part-time coverage from state police.

The potential budget cut would also force the closing of several state police barracks, no doubt lengthening response times.

While the state police did receive a funding increase in the current budget, it’s appropriate for this critical state agency to have a high-ranking budget priority. The public should be aware of the potential impact of a budget freeze or a possible 5 percent cut.

As a core government function, law enforcement by the state police should be a top priority in Harrisburg. Corbett should be willing to be creative in finding ways to support state police funding.

There are other places in the state budget that should face budget cuts, before the state police are impacted. The state police have requested a $33.6 million funding increase for 2012-13.

Corbett and lawmakers should first ensure that the state police operate as efficiently as possible and that all prudent opportunities for cost savings have already been exercised. Once that’s done, Corbett and state lawmakers should work to find ways to not only avoid cuts to the state police, but increase funding enough to enable the agency to build the trooper force reasonably, rather than manage a force depletion that would threaten public safety.