Most Pennsylvania taxpayers believe that all parts of the state budget must share in the sacrifices necessary to return the commonwealth’s fiscal situation to stability.

All considered, that is a reasonable attitude.

But some of those taxpayers might be having some second thoughts about that position, now that there’s been a leak of an internal document involving the state police.

That document, obtained by the Patriot-News of Harrisburg and revealed in an article in Sunday’s edition, said the agency is forecasting the potential for 400 to 500 trooper layoffs under a budget proposal aimed at trimming the department’s spending.

That would be about 10 percent of the department’s current manpower complement — not an encouraging possibility for state residents concerned about safety on the highways as well as the commonwealth’s crime rate.

Indeed, layoffs of that magnitude would be excessive.

For municipalities that rely on the state police because of having no municipal police department, implementation of the layoffs will be met with serious concerns.

For those who drive safely and abide by posted speed limits, the possibility of fewer troopers manning radar along state roadways will be unsettling, because of the added freedom it will mean for drivers who don’t follow the rules of the road, or who disobey the law by driving while intoxicated.

Presumably, the possible layoffs could challenge investigations into serious crimes as well as those not so serious.

The layoff proposal is one that demands clear thinking and full acknowledgment of the potential negative consequences.

Saving money in the state budget is a great idea; saving money at the expense of the well-being of state residents and those who are visiting or passing through the commonwealth is another — and much more serious — matter.

From the perspective of state residents, it’s also appropriate to note that, while there is talk about taking this potentially shortsighted step, there is little, if any, effort on the part of the General Assembly to significantly cut its own spending. As many state residents recall from headlines in recent weeks, lawmakers received an automatic 3 percent pay increase, rather than agreeing to freeze their rate of pay.

About two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s municipalities benefit from full- or part-time service provided by the state police. In addition, the state police provide drug-testing services, as well as ballistics and complex DNA testing.

Other troubling aspects of the internal document in question is that it mentions the possible closing of five barracks and implementing a freeze on new police academy cadet classes until 2013.

The department’s budget is about $900 million but, unlike some of the legislature’s spending, provides real benefits that all state residents should appreciate.

While it’s true that some cost cuts are possible in any department’s operations, the proposals targeting the state police are radical and shortsighted.

This is a time when sacrifice is necessary, but it isn’t the time for poorly thought-out, hasty moves that could threaten public safety.

The contents of the internal document should be met with calls for extreme caution, not plaudits.