Kentucky State Police Thank Kentuckians For Support During Cruiser Contest
Finishes Runner-Up in National Competition
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 30, 2024)—The Kentucky State Police (KSP) want to thank Kentuckians for voting for their 2024 Ford Mustang GT as the nation’s best-looking cruiser. KSP sought its fourth overall win but fell to Florida in a neck-and-neck race.
KSP entered the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) “2024 Best Looking Cruiser Contest,” competing against state law enforcement agencies nationwide. The top thirteen entries earned a spot on the association’s 2024 wall calendar. Kentucky placed second overall, so the KSP cruiser will be featured as the February cruiser for the upcoming calendar.
This year, KSP’s entry featured a 2024 Ford Mustang GT in front of the Secretariat statue in the roundabout at Alexandria Drive and Old Frankfort Pike in Lexington. This photo was a testament to Kentucky’s beloved horse racing industry and honored the recent anniversary of Secretariat’s triple-crown win and the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Just like Secretariat’s races, the AAST competition was tough. KSP and Florida battled for first place, but Florida edged out the win by 2,000 votes. Over 276,000 total votes were cast among the 50 state police agencies, with KSP receiving 26,091. KSP has placed in the top five over the past six years, winning back-to-back races in 2021 and 2022.
“Witnessing the outpouring of support from Kentuckians has been humbling,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. “While we fell short of our goal, the creativity among agencies was on full display, often in a humorous way, and helped show the human side of law enforcement.”
The calendars are available for pre-order at www.statetroopers.org, with proceeds benefitting educational scholarships to children of troopers.
KSP is committed to maintaining and strengthening its workforce to enhance public safety, maintain critical services and better reflect the diverse communities it serves. Troopers serve on the front lines daily by responding to calls for service and interacting directly with their communities to ensure safety and security for all. Individuals who are ready to serve mankind, safeguard lives and property, assist their fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement and reduce crime are encouraged to apply to join Team Kentucky.
Throughout his time in elected office, Gov. Beshear has made increasing public safety, deterring crime and fighting human trafficking and sex offenses a core mission. The Beshear-Coleman administration believes every single Kentuckian has the right to feel safe in their community, workplace and school, and the Governor has taken steps to increase public safety.
In the last two years, his administration has secured a historic more than $18,000 pay increase for KSP troopers and officers. Due to these increases and the tireless efforts from the KSP recruitment branch, more than 1,000 sworn personnel are now wearing the badge of honor, the highest number since 2017.
Gov. Beshear has also supported training for local law enforcement officers by raising the current training stipend to an all-time high, and the state supported the construction of a new training facility in Richmond.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded nearly $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.
Last year, Gov. Beshear signed House Bill 380 expanding the eligibility of potential peace officers to include individuals who are not yet 21 but will reach this statutory requirement by the time certification is completed to help law enforcement agencies expand their workforce.
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
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