A state budget shortfall could take a bite out of the Pennsylvania State Police.

There's a proposal to eliminate 800 trooper positions to save 84 million dollars.

As Action News reporter Erik Burling tells us, a lot of people are worried about slower response time.

An overturned water truck just off Route 187 in Wysox.

It's not local police, but Pennsylvania State Troopers who responded to investigate, control traffic, and make sure everyone was alright.

That's why people are unhappy when they hear Pennsylvania wants to cut 800 state police positions.

"It's always going to be an issue when the state is trying to cut back on things that are very important, like the police. You need them to keep order in this society or else what's going to happen? You've got to find something else to cut," said Dawn Cranmer of Rome.

Keep order and respond to calls in all corners of Pennsylvania, including here in Bradford County, the second largest geographically in the state.

"They're already spread pretty thin now. And the response time already is longer than it should be,"

County Commissioner John Sullivan says Bradford County is primarily patrolled by state police.

And the proposal comes at a time when more people are coming in because of the natural gas rush.

"There's predictions that our population will expand. The more people you bring into a community the more opportunity there is for having the need for state police," said John Sullivan, a Bradford County Commissioner.

"It's unknown how many positions would be lost from Towanda, and other Northern Tier barracks. But Governor Ed Rendell says the cuts would be equivalent to eliminating all state police barracks north of Interstate 80," said Action News reporter Erik Burling.

"You're cutting not only 800 trooper jobs, that's 800 families that will be in a sacrifice and trying to find other work," said Victor Franklin of Wysox.

And communities that would have to sacrifice a stronger state police force.

There are 4 local police forces in Bradford County.

Towanda, Waverly, Athens and Sayre.

The proposal to cut state troopers is expected to be decided before Pennsylvania's budget deadline which is June, 30th, next Tuesday.