Kentucky State Police recently welcomed its largest starting cadet class since 2014, with 103 potential new officers, the agency announced Sunday evening.
State police said a $15,000 salary increase for state police’s sworn personnel had helped increase the number of officers in the agency. Kentucky now has 899 state troopers, which is an increase of about 22% compared to their staffing level in November 2021. They also said “tireless efforts from the recruitment branch” had aided in the increase, Kentucky.com reports.
The class will undergo 24 weeks of basic training with more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study in a number of police-related subjects. The class will also receive training on the recently purchased integrated video recording system for the first time in the agency’s history.
The video system includes body cameras, which weren’t previously used by state police.
“Wanting to wear the sacred badge of honor like those honorable troopers who came before you is a true testament to your desire to create a better, safer Kentucky,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in the press release. “We wish you the best as you begin your training and thank you in advance for your service.”
