The 60 new troopers who joined the Kentucky State Police after graduating the academy during a Sunday ceremony bring to 914 the total number of troopers on the force.

"It's critical that we maintain staffing levels," said Gov. Steven Beshear. "This is the fourth year in a row we've been able to put a new class of cadets out on our roads. I'm proud of that. Despite a horrible revenue situation, I've made it clear we must protect and preserve our highest priorities, and this is one of the highest."

The new troopers started a 23-week training cycle on May 22 in a class that consisted of 81 cadets. Ten failed initial physical testing during the first two hours. Eleven more resigned during the weeks of constant mental and physical challenges that followed.

"It's always an exciting day when we graduate new recruits," said Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer. "These 60 men and women have worked hard for 23 weeks to earn the rank of trooper. They epitomize our agency values of honor, professionalism and service above self."

The training included more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study in subjects such as constitutional law, juvenile and traffic law, use of force, weapons training, defensive tactics, first aid, high-speed vehicle pursuit, criminal investigation, computer literacy, hostage negotiations, evidence collection, radio procedures, search and seizure, crash investigation, drug identification, traffic control, crowd control, armed robbery response, land navigation, electronic crimes, sex crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence, bomb threats and hazardous materials.

The new troopers will be supervised by a training officer for six to eight weeks after reporting for duty at their assigned posts. The agency is currently recruiting for a new cadet class to begin in the fall of 2012. The final entrance exam for this class will be held on Jan. 28. The application deadline for the test is Jan. 20.