Gov. Beshear, Kentucky State Police Welcome Next Generation of Troopers to Training Academy
81 cadets begin 24-weeks of academy instruction focused on enhancing public safety
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 17, 2026) — Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the Kentucky State Police (KSP) welcomed 81 cadets to the agency’s training academy to begin the journey of becoming a state trooper and prepare for their role in enhancing public safety in the commonwealth.
“Our troopers play a vital role in building a safer Kentucky for families across our commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “Your willingness to commit yourselves to this important cause reflects a deep sense of duty to our people, and all of Team Kentucky is grateful for the service you begin today.”
Cadet Class 107 includes 75 individuals who are beginning their career with KSP and six certified officers from other agencies who are participating in KSP’s Law Enforcement Accelerated Program (LEAP), which allows experienced law enforcement personnel to complete an abbreviated academy program before joining the agency.
“These men and women aspire to enter a career that demands accountability, professionalism and perseverance every single day,” KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said. “Training at the KSP Academy is designed to prepare them for any challenge ahead while building the confidence and skills necessary to serve Kentucky with integrity.”
Cadet Class 107 will undergo an intensive 24-week training regimen with more than 1,000 hours of instruction and hands-on training in key areas such as constitutional law, crisis response, criminal investigations, juvenile and traffic law and community engagement. The curriculum also includes weapons training, emergency medical response, high-speed pursuit tactics, crowd control, hazardous materials handling and education on implicit bias.
Cadets in Class 107 represents 45 Kentucky counties, including Adair, Barren, Bell, Boone, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Bullitt, Carter, Christian, Cumberland, Fayette, Floyd, Grayson, Hardin, Harlan, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knox, Larue, Laurel, Lee, Letcher, Madison, Marshall, Martin, Menifee, Metcalfe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Oldham, Owsley, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Shelby, Warren and Whitley counties. The class also includes cadets from Florida, Indiana and Ohio.
“The academy is where these cadets begin developing the mindset, discipline and decision-making abilities required of a Kentucky State Trooper,” KSP Academy Commander Capt. Joey Vorbeck said. “Every aspect of training is focused on preparing them to meet the expectations of modern law enforcement while serving the public with professionalism and respect.”
In January, 32 troopers graduated from Cadet Class 106 and are now serving the commonwealth. The next cadet class is slated to arrive at the KSP Academy in March 2027. For more information about the upcoming class, visit the KSP website.
The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor’s public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky.
Since Gov. Beshear took office, more than 2,700 officers have graduated from one of Kentucky’s law enforcement training academies. As of the beginning of this month, 1,837 officers have graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training Basic Training Course and 307 have graduated from the Kentucky State Police Training Academy.
To continue increasing the amount of law enforcement officers protecting the commonwealth and to support the work of KSP, the Governor recently signed Senate Bill 102 to make it possible for retired KSP troopers appointed to Trooper R Class or commercial vehicle enforcement to return and serve the agency within specific timeframes.
Last month, Team Kentucky broke ground on the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s new Madisonville campus. When completed, the $50 million project will house two buildings – a 42,800-square-foot classroom and administration building providing learning space, offices and recruit showers and changing areas, as well as a 30,625-square-foot high bay building, which will house an open training area, additional classroom space and gym equipment. The recently passed 2026-2028 state budget also allocates $13.1 million to construct a driving track at the new facility. The General Assembly did not include the full $64.8 million requested by the Governor in his executive budget proposal to construct both a driving track and an indoor firing range at the Madisonville facility.
For four straight years, overdose deaths have decreased in Kentucky. In 2025, the commonwealth saw 22.9% fewer overdose deaths than the year prior.
Since Gov. Beshear took office, fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release. For two years in a row, recidivism rates in the commonwealth have decreased, meaning that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned.
In December, the Governor joined KSP and first responders in Mayfield to bring local agencies onto the new Kentucky State Police radio system. In his 2026-2028 executive budget proposal, Gov. Beshear requested funding to finish the project and ensure statewide coverage. The budget recently passed by the General Assembly did not provide the funding needed.
Last September, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined KSP to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art Drivers’ Skills Pad at the agency’s training academy in Frankfort. The $2.7 million project will provide troopers, officers and cadets with a facility dedicated to safely practice and refine advanced driving techniques.
The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June 2025, shows that, from 2023 to 2024, reports of serious crime decreased by 7.66%.
In April of last year, Gov. Beshear was joined by members of the Cash family, the Kentucky law enforcement community and the Department of Criminal Justice Training to officially open the doors to the new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty. The facility is a 42,794-square-foot facility with a 50-yard, 30-lane firing range designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that will support training all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
As the Governor recommended in January 2022, $12.2 million was included in the state budget for KSP to purchase body cameras, which is the first time in the commonwealth’s history that funding has been allocated for this much-needed expense.
For more information about KSP’s commitment to creating a better Kentucky by making the commonwealth’s streets safer, communities stronger and the nation more secure by providing exceptional law enforcement, click here.
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