Kentucky State Police Graduate 51 new Troopers from Cadet Class 103

FRANKFORT — Governor Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police announced on Friday that 51 cadets, including Austin Castle, from Nippa, graduated the agency’s training academy on Friday, Aug. 11, and are now ready to report for duty across the commonwealth. Cadet Castle also earned an associates degree and has been assigned to Post 14, Ashland.

Cadet Class 103 reported to the KSP training academy on February 26, to embark upon 24-weeks of intense training to learn the job skills necessary to perform the duties of a state trooper. These graduating cadets will uphold the mission of KSP 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, safeguard property and protect individuals rights.

The graduates of Cadet Class 103 received 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, defensive tactics, first aid, high speed vehicle pursuit, criminal investigation, computer literacy, hostage negotiations, evidence collection, radio procedures, search and seizure, crash investigation, drug identification, traffic control, crowd control, armed robbery response, electronic crimes, sex crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence, bomb threats and hazardous materials.

The KSP Training Academy staff provide cadets with best practices, the latest technology training and legal information to help make the commonwealth’s streets safer, communities stronger and the nation more secure through exceptional law enforcement.

“The commonwealth’s newest troopers have been given hundreds of hours of training to help them face tomorrows challenges,” KSP Academy Commander Capt. Shawn Darby said. “They will need everyone’s genuine support throughout their career, in good times and bad.”

KSP’s recruitment branch is currently accepting applications for the upcoming cadet class 104, which is slated to begin January 2024. The deadline to apply is August 31.