Gov. Beshear, Kentucky State Police Recruit New Troopers
Troopers hired and participating in Cadet Class 107 to earn $69,500 annually
FRANKFORT, Ky. (August 26, 2025) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced that the agency is now taking applications for Cadet Class 107, offering a professional path into law enforcement service. KSP is offering increased starting salaries for sworn officers, with compensation starting at $69,500 annually and a competitive hybrid retirement system with a sick leave buyback program.
“The Kentucky State Police sets high standards for law enforcement and public service in our commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “We encourage those who believe they can rise to this challenge to apply for the next cadet class of state troopers. I know they will find a career with KSP as rewarding as it is demanding.”
Cadets without a prior background in law enforcement will undergo an intensive 24-week training regimen, with over 1,000 hours of classroom and practical field study. Cadets will be trained in various critical topics, including constitutional law, juvenile and traffic laws, crisis response, criminal investigations, and community relations. Specific training areas also cover weapons use, first aid, high-speed pursuits, crowd control, hazardous material handling and implicit bias education.
Those with previous law enforcement experience are encouraged to apply for KSP’s Law Enforcement Accelerated Program (LEAP), which enables seasoned officers to join the agency through an accelerated 14-course program.
“The KSP Academy’s cadet training is intense, challenging, and, above all, rewarding. It prepares future troopers for a career with the same demands,” said recruitment commander Lt. Charles Hedgespeth. “As a full-service agency with over 20 specialized branches, we offer countless opportunities to find your purpose in law enforcement. The opportunity starts with one thing: enduring the training. We’re seeking individuals with grit, resilience and a strong sense of purpose to join our agency.”
Cadet Class 107 is expected to begin in May of 2026. All applications must be submitted to the KSP Recruitment Branch by the close of business on December 5, 2025. Applications are available online, and those interested in applying can visit KSP’s website to learn the minimum requirements, disqualifications and a list of required supporting documentation (physical standards requirements and testing information). For questions or assistance with applying, email the KSP recruitment branch at KSPRecruit@ky.gov.
Candidates selected for the final hiring from Posts 1, 2, 5, 6 and 16 will receive guaranteed assignments at their home post location. All other applicants will be assigned to their home or bordering post based on positions and agency need. To see a list of Post locations, click here.
On August 10, KSP welcomed 64 cadets to the training academy to begin their journey toward becoming state troopers dedicated to serving and protecting all Kentuckians.
The Beshear-Coleman administration has taken several steps to support law enforcement while ensuring Kentuckians are safe and feel safe in our new Kentucky home.
In April, the Governor officially opened the doors to the new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty May 16, 2022, while serving as chief deputy of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office. The Jody Cash Multipurpose Training 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. This facility will support training for all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction, and more than $149 million in grant funding to victim service agencies across the commonwealth.
Recently, Gov. Beshear announced that Kentucky has secured another low recidivism rate. Nearly 70% of people released from state custody over the past two years have not been re-incarcerated.
The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June, shows that from 2023 to 2024, of the 23 categories, 17 saw a decrease in crimes reported, indicating an overall decrease of 7.66% in reports of serious, Category A crime. Some of the notable data indicates an 11.55% decrease in drug/narcotic offenses, a 12.7% decrease in homicide offenses and a 13.78% decrease in sex offenses.
In May, Gov. Beshear highlighted that the 2024 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report chronicled a 30.2% decrease in drug overdose deaths last year in the commonwealth. This is the third consecutive annual decrease.
At the beginning of his second term, the Governor proposed a $500 increase to the law enforcement annual training stipend, but the General Assembly chose to provide a combined $262 increase over the next two years. The budget signed by the Governor raises the training stipend to an all-time high of $4,562 by fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the Governor is providing part-time law enforcement officers an annual training stipend for the first time in the history of the commonwealth.
Also, 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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