Gov. Beshear, Kentucky State Police Announce Cadet Class 104 Arrives to the Training Academy
KSP rings in new year with 72 cadets to enhance public safety
FRANKFORT, Ky. (January 7, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police announced Cadet Class 104, comprised of 72 new cadets, will begin their journey to serving the commonwealth as a state trooper.
“We are proud of these dedicated individuals who have answered the call to put themselves between danger and their communities each time they put on the uniform,” said Gov. Beshear. “As they embark on this once in a lifetime journey, I extend my deepest thanks to each cadet. Me and my family are praying for you and your safety every day.”
Cadet Class 104 consists of 72 individuals who have chosen to begin a career in law enforcement and four officers who have transferred from other law enforcement agencies to the state police and will be participating in the KSP Law Enforcement Accelerated Program.
“We can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year than by welcoming these new cadets to our agency,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. “They represent the future of law enforcement, and their training at our academy will equip them with the skills and values necessary to uphold the highest standards of professionalism to Kentucky.”
Cadet classes include twenty-four weeks of basic training with 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, first aid, high-speed vehicle pursuit, criminal investigation, computer literacy, hostage negotiations, evidence collection, radio procedures, search and seizure, crash investigation, drug identification, crowd control, armed robbery response, land navigation, electronic crimes, sex crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence, bomb threats, hazardous materials, implicit bias, integrated video recording systems, race relations and social intelligence. For those officers joining KSP through the Law Enforcement Accelerated Program, they bring a minimum of two years of law enforcement experience and undergo an accelerated thirteen-week academy.
KSP Academy Commander Captain Joseph Vorbeck praised the academy’s training staff and cadets for being committed to increasing public and officer safety.
“The training offered at the state police academy is a dynamic immersion into real-world scenarios,” said Capt. Vorbeck. “With an unwavering commitment, our academy staff will mold these cadets into not just troopers, but dedicated servants.”
Cadets represent the following Kentucky counties: Barren, Bath, Boyle, Bracken, Breathitt, Bullitt, Butler, Calloway, Carroll, Carter, Christian, Clark, Clay, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Graves, Green, Hardin, Henry, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Madison, Marshall, McCreary, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montogomery, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Oldham, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rowan, Shelby, Spencer, Taylor, Washington and Whitley.
Cadets from out-of-state represent Scioto County, OH., Bradley County, TN., and Clark County, IN.
The mission of KSP is to promote public safety through service, integrity and professionalism using partnerships to prevent, reduce and deter crime and the fear of crime, enhance highway safety through education and enforcement, and safeguard property and protect individual rights.
To learn more about becoming a KSP trooper, visit our website.
The Beshear-Coleman Administration has taken several steps to support law enforcement while creating safer communities.
In December, the Governor announced the Forward, Together budget proposal which will continue boosting public and officer safety. The proposed budget includes a $2,500 raise for all KSP troopers and officers and enough funding to add 150 more troopers over the next two years. This raise follows the $18,800 raise Gov. Beshear secured for all troopers and officers during the previous budget session. Gov. Beshear’s budget also includes increasing the law enforcement training stipend yet again, improving the pension system for state and local law enforcement and grant funding for local law enforcement agencies to purchase body armor.
The Governor also announced in December that the value of KSP’s drug seizures in November amounted to over $1.6 million, making it the highest total value seized this year.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $10 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in purchasing the tools and resources that will not only allow them to protect Kentucky communities but will also ensure their safety as they stand on the front lines every day. In August, the administration awarded $2.1 million in grant funding to enhance public safety, curb the sale of illegal drugs and fight addiction.
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