The Kentucky State Police, established in 1948, is the statewide law enforcement agency of the Commonwealth. In accordance with Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 16, the department shall consist of the commissioner and the number of officers, individuals employed as a Trooper R Class, CVE R Class, and civilians, and shall be organized in the manner as the commissioner determines. The agency will efficiently fulfill the responsibilities placed upon agency officers, as well as those other responsibilities assigned pursuant to any Legislative Act, Administrative Regulation, or Executive Order. State Troopers are assigned to 16 regional posts and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers are assigned to 3 regions. The Department is responsible for the enforcement of criminal and traffic laws, including white-collar crime, organized crime, electronic crime, racketeering, and drug-related crime. The State Police also provide executive protection for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, their families, and state-owned property. The current organization is comprised of the following four offices: Commissioner; Administrative Services; Operations; and Technical Services.
The Office of the Commissioner comprises the executive staff of the commissioner as well as the Executive Security Branch and Legislative Security Branch.
The Office of Administrative Services, includes the Internal Affairs Branch, Strategic Planning Branch, Executive Services, the Division of Operational Support and the Division of Management Services. The Division of the Operational Support provides professional support services for the Department, including Public Affairs, Health and Wellness, Recruitment, and Academy Branches. The Division of Management Services includes Supply, Properties Management, Budget, Financial Grants Management, and Security Branches. The Academy Branch is responsible for all basic training and providing continuing education to meet individual employees' peach officer certification requirements.
The Office of Operations consists of the Inspections and Evaluation Branch, Special Services, Division of East Troops, Division of West Troops, Division Special Enforcement and Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. The Office includes the regional posts and the personnel assigned to each post. State Police posts are maintained in Mayfield, Madisonville, Henderson, Elizabethtown, Bowling Green, Dry Ridge, Frankfort, Campbellsburg, Richmond, Columbia, Morehead, Ashland, Pikeville, Hazard, Harlan, and London. Other functions in this office include Driver's Testing, Highway Safety, Drug Enforcement Special Investigations, Vehicle Investigation, Critical Incident Response Team, Cannabis Suppression, Intelligence, and Special Operations (Hazardous Devices, Special Response Team, and Canine). The Division of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement is responsible for encouraging and promoting a safe driving environment through education and safety awareness while enforcing state and federal laws and regulations, placing special emphasis on commercial vehicles. This Division is staffed with sworn law enforcement officers, regulatory weight and safety inspectors, and civilian staff.
The Office of Technical Services comprises the Division of Forensic Sciences, Division of Electronic Services, Division of Records Management, and the Chief Information Officer. The Office is responsible for providing technical assistance to all departmental areas, along with outside agencies, concerning electronic crimes examination/analysis, communications, criminal history information and records, intelligence information, automated fingerprint information, and computer information technology needs. The Office also has the responsibility of providing forensic analysis for all law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth. The forensic analysis function is provided through the Central Laboratory in Frankfort as well as Regional Laboratories in Ashland, Louisville, Cold Springs, London, and Madisonville.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $5,500,000 in each fiscal year to support compensatory time conversion to paid overtime for sworn Troopers which will improve recruitment and retention.
The budget includes additional funds in the amount of $5,581,900 in fiscal year 2027 and $11,083,300 in fiscal year 2028 to support the additional costs of the KRS 16.052 salary schedule for troopers and commercial vehicle enforcement officers. These include changes in rank and experience and the required, statutory increase in the consumer price index. The General Fund portion is $3,776,300 and $7,380,200, respectively.
The budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $1,302,900 in fiscal year 2027 and $3,416,000 in fiscal year 2028 to support new drivers testing locations at three existing Transportation Cabinet locations and add six new locations.
The Governor's budget includes additional General Fund in the amount of $867,700 in fiscal year 2027 and $810,200 for two additional forensic biologists, increased lease cost and a vehicle lift at the relocated Northern Kentucky Crime Lab, and four additional forensic biologists for the Central Lab to reduce sexual assault examination backlog.
The budget includes Restricted Funds for a $4,562 training incentive stipend in each fiscal year for state troopers, arson investigators, hazardous devices investigators, legislative security specialist, and Vehicle Enforcement officers within the Kentucky State Police. The stipend payments are provided from the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Fund.
The base budget includes General Fund in the amount of $2,925,200 in each fiscal year for Kentucky Emergency Warning System lease renewals.