South Carolina’s law enforcement agencies got an early Christmas present Tuesday with a proposal to spend $54 million to hire hundreds of new public safety officers and to buy equipment.

The announcement was a preview of Gov. Mark Sanford’s upcoming executive budget. If approved, it would provide the first new state money in years for the agencies.

Sanford, who listed restoring money to law enforcement as a top priority this year, called public safety “the building block to any functioning society.”

State law enforcement agencies have been socked by the slow economy and cuts in state funding, resulting in cuts of more than $50 million since 2001.

One area not mentioned in Sanford’s proposal Tuesday was low salaries, which have been blamed for high turnover at many public safety agencies.

“Salary levels are an issue we hope gets addressed,” said corrections director Jon Ozmint. Prison guards start work earning about $20,000 a year. “But, for us, today is a big victory.”

In his plan unveiled Tuesday, Sanford said he wanted to spend $32 million to add:

• 100 state troopers

• 124 Department of Corrections officers

• 126 Department of Juvenile Justice officers

• 40 Department of Natural Resources officers

• 10 SLED agents and 10 lab technicians.

In addition to new personnel, $22 million would be earmarked in one-time spending for new Highway Patrol cars, metal detectors and maintenance needs at the agencies.

Department of Public Safety director James Schweitzer said a class of 50 new state troopers could begin a 20-week training program as soon as money is approved by the General Assembly, which convenes in January.

“So if there’s anyone out there interested, we’ll be looking (for recruits),” he said.

Getting more troopers on the road is a high priority because South Carolina ranks among the worst states in the nation in the number of highway deaths. A study released this month by a safety group places the state fifth in alcohol-related traffic deaths.

Safety experts say that record partially is attributable to too few patrol officers. The state now has 788 troopers, down 18 percent from 961 in 2000.

Donna Carter, state chairwoman of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said it’s been frustrating to see the number of troopers dwindle as highway deaths rise.

“With more troopers on the road, we can only hope that the number of deaths will go down,” she said.

But it’s not just the Highway Partrol that has been hit by the lean budgets.

The state’s prison system has seen more than a 10 percent jump in its population in the past four years, while state money has dropped by nearly 14 percent.

The Department of Juvenile Justice received 20 percent less state money in the same time period.

Republican and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly have voiced support for additional money for law enforcement but disagree on the details.

House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, said he applauds Sanford for making public safety a priority. But Wilkins thinks salary hikes for existing officers should be included.

“I’d like to look at it and give an increase to those folks in uniform today,” he said. “The concept of spending more money for law enforcement is one I totally agree with. The specifics, we’ll have to deal with them as we work through the process.”

A state Budget and Control Board study comparing the salaries of S.C. law enforcement officers with those in neighboring states is due next month.

One big question mark is how Sanford will account for the additional $54 million in law enforcement money in his overall executive budget proposal.

South Carolina is expected to have about $350 million more in its coffers in the budget year that begins July 1. But critics say more than that is needed to pay for increases in basic education and health care needs.

Sanford said that he was relying on that new money to pay for the law enforcement increases and that he was putting every agency under a microscope to find potential cost savings.

“If you put more money one place, there will be less money somewhere else,” he said.

Reach Stensland at (803) 771-8358 or jstensland@thestate.com.