KY. GOVERNOR BESHEAR: “NEW TROOPERS TO SERVE AND PROTECT THE COMMONWEALTH… BUILDING A BETTER, SAFER KENTUCKY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS”
JUNE 21, 2024 – written by WADE QUEEN
Kentucky Governor Andrew Beshear announced on Friday, June 21, that thirty-seven (37) troopers have graduated from the Kentucky State Police training academy and are now ready to report for duty across the commonwealth.
“I ask everyone in the commonwealth to pray for the safety of our new brave heroes and their families,” Governor Beshear said. “We owe all of them a debt of gratitude for their service, and my administration will continue to champion needed resources and equipment to protect them as they work to protect us.”
Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith L. Jackson attended the ceremony today on behalf of Gov. Beshear to welcome the new troopers to Team Kentucky.
“To Cadet Class 104, thank you for your willingness to serve, your love for public service and your commitment to protecting our 4.5 million Kentuckians,” Secretary Keith Jackson said. “The Beshear-Coleman administration is proud to be your partner in building a new Kentucky home by creating a better, safer place for all.”
“You have endured some of the most intense mental and physical training that one can endure; you have not only come out stronger because of it, but you’ve come out stronger together,” said Secretary Jackson.
On January 7, 2024, Cadet Class 104 arrived at the training academy to embark upon 24 weeks of intensive training to learn the job skills necessary to perform the duties of a state trooper. Graduating cadets will uphold the mission of the state police 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 individual rights.
The graduates of Cadet Class 104 received more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study in subjects such as constitutional, 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.
“I am pleased to welcome these new cadets to the rank of trooper,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett. “The academy staff poured out their time, energy and heart to ensure you received the skills needed to survive whatever challenges you may face. I have no doubt that you will serve with honor, integrity and bravery.”
“The academy staff invests in the lives of our cadets to ensure that they possess the physical, mental and ethical standards which our agency strives to promote,” said KSP Academy Commander Captain Joey Vorbeck. “Over the past 24 weeks, these 37 men and women of Cadet Class 104 have been tested to their limits and have proven they are ready for tomorrow’s challenges of being a trooper.”
Cadet Class 104 graduates and their assigned posts are:
Post 1, MAYFIELD
Maxwell Dikin, Symsonia, Kentucky
Robert Green, Murray, Kentucky
Jacob Landis, Calvert City, Kentucky
Post 2, MADISONVILLE
Tyler Hancock, Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Post 3, BOWLING GREEN
Isaiah Carter, Columbia, Kentucky
Cullen Cox, Somerset, Kentucky
Zackary Giles, Columbia, Kentucky
Wade Hughes, Morgantown, Kentucky
Emmanuel Johnson, Portland, Tennessee
Ryan Newman, East Brunswick, New Jersey
Landon Sharber, Louisville, Kentucky
Post 4, ELIZABETHTOWN
William Hendricks, Shepherdsville, Kentucky
Matthew Mann, Springfield, Kentucky
Post 5, CAMPBELLSBURG
Hannajo Bradbury, Sparta, Kentucky
JiShaun Branch, Chicago, Illinois
Curtis Button, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Maxwell Elsbernd, Kenton, Kentucky
Post 6, DRY RIDGE
Ethan Brewer, London, Kentucky
Tanner Jones, Manchester, Kentucky
Matthew Pinson, Winchester, Kentucky
Post 7, RICHMOND
Mariano Cordova, Lancaster, Kentucky
Dawson Duff, Breathitt, Kentucky
Post 8, MOREHEAD
Adrian Hudson, Jackson, Kentucky
Darren Noble, Jackson, Kentucky
Tanner Tout, Owingsville, Kentucky
Post 10, HARLAN
Canon Calder, Somerset, Kentucky
Benjamin Meadows, Manchester, Kentucky
Joseph Messer, Corbin, Kentucky
Jacob Schwab, London, Kentucky
Judson Weaver, London, Kentucky
Post 12, FRANKFORT
Taylor Grider, Jamestown, Kentucky
Post 14, ASHLAND
Caleb Elmore, Leroy, Alabama
Stevie Hammond, Mount Sterling, Kentucky
John Holbrook, East Point, Kentucky
Jacob McDaniel, Morehead, Kentucky
Austin Stacy, Cannel City, Kentucky
Post 15, COLUMBIA
Codie Ford, Tompkinsville, Kentucky
Several members of the graduating class received special recognition during the ceremony. Trooper Cullen Cox received the Ernie Bivens Award. This honor is presented to a cadet who, in the opinion of the KSP Academy and fellow cadets, shows distinction as a leader, strives for academic excellence and has excelled in all phases of the academy’s physical and vocational training.
The class Valedictorian Award, which includes a new 2024 police cruiser, was awarded to Trooper Caleb Elmore. The Salutatorian was awarded to Trooper Zachary Giles.
Trooper Robert Green received the Commissioner’s Commitment to Excellence Award. This is presented to the cadet who has demonstrated leadership, the desire to get the job done and is always determined to be the best every day.
Thirteen cadets earned their associate’s degree in General Occupational and Technical Studies from the Bluegrass Community and Technical College during their 24 weeks at the training academy. These cadets benefited from the new hiring guidelines established by the state legislature in 2017. Through this revision, anyone who possesses a high school diploma or GED, and has three years of full-time work experience can apply for employment as a trooper and earn an associate degree during the training process.
Cadet Class 104 graduates who earned an associate’s degree are:
JiShaun Branch, Chicago, Illinois
Curtis Button, Shelbyville, Kentucky
Maxwell Dikin, Symsonia, Kentucky
Caleb Elmore, Leroy, Alabama
Maxwell Elsbernd, Kenton, Kentucky
Robert Green, Murray, Kentucky
Stevie Hammond, Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Emmanuel Johnson, Portland, Tennessee
Matthew Mann, Springfield, Kentucky
Benjamin Meadows, Manchester, Kentucky
Joseph Messer, Corbin, Kentucky
Jacob Schwab, London, Kentucky
Judson Weaver, London, Kentucky
The KSP academy is now accepting applications for Cadet Class 105, which is slated to begin in November 2024. Individuals who are ready to serve the commonwealth, safeguard lives and property, assist their fellow Kentuckians in law enforcement and reduce crime are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is by close of business, Sunday, June 30. For more information about career opportunities with KSP visit the website.
Now, more people want to join the state police family, as the KSP has seen an increase in applicants for the next class.
Sergeant Michael Murriell says that the increase in applicants could be due to KSP’s significant pay increases and the opportunity to have post placements near home, which they hope will recruit motivated and hard-working individuals.
“Our ultimate goal is to be able to provide a good quality service to the people that we protect, and it’s important for us to have good quality applicants who want to wear this uniform for the right reasons,” Sgt. Murriell said.
The Beshear-Coleman administration believes every single Kentuckian has the right to feel safe in their community, workplaces and schools, 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.
Governor Andy 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, Governor Andrew 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, Governor 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.
