STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Kentucky State Police are launching a new round of recruitment as the agency works to bring more troopers onto the road across the commonwealth. Gov. Andy Beshear and KSP announced that applications are now open for Cadet Class 108 through the agency’s online portal. New sworn officers will receive a starting salary of $71,000 a year, according to a Kentucky State Police press release. Troopers will also be eligible for 100 hours of overtime and additional federally funded overtime opportunities.
For the first time in the agency’s history, cadets will receive mileage reimbursement while traveling to and from the academy. The agency has also revamped its academy training. Cadet Class 108 is expected to begin in May 2027 and will go through a newly restructured 22-week curriculum. KSP said that schedule will allow cadets extended weekend breaks to visit home during training while still maintaining the agency’s longstanding standards. Cadets without prior law enforcement experience will complete more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study. Training will cover constitutional, juvenile and traffic law, along with crisis response, criminal investigations and community relations. Recruits will also receive instruction in weapons use, first aid, high-speed pursuits, crowd control, hazardous material handling and implicit bias education, according to the agency.
Gov. Beshear said Kentucky State Police troopers and officers are helping build “a safer New Kentucky Home” and urged Kentuckians who are passionate about protecting their communities to consider applying. Applications must be submitted to the KSP Recruitment Branch by the close of business on Oct. 15, 2026. Interested candidates can find applications, minimum requirements, disqualifications, physical standards and testing information online at JoinKSP.com. Candidates chosen from posts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 14 will receive guaranteed assignments at their home post. Other applicants will be assigned to their home or a bordering post based on agency needs and available positions. In addition to law enforcement training, the academy allows cadets to earn an associate of applied science degree while they complete the program. Since that degree option began in 2017, KSP reports that 150 cadets have earned the credential. The current recruitment effort comes as the administration highlights investments in law enforcement, technology and training that officials say are helping improve public safety statewide.
Key Facts
– Kentucky State Police are accepting applications for Cadet Class 108 through Oct. 15, 2026
– New troopers will earn a starting salary of $71,000 with overtime and mileage reimbursement
– Cadet Class 108 is expected to begin in May 2027 with a revamped 22-week academy
– Cadets will receive more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field training in law and public safety
– Officials say the recruitment push is part of Gov. Andy Beshear’s broader public safety and staffing efforts
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