Kentucky State Police

The Kentucky State Police has an authorized strength of 936 personnel and currently serves a population of approximately 4,314,113.

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is a department of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. The department was founded in 1948 and replaced the Kentucky Highway Patrol. The department's officers are called troopers and its nickname is The Thin Gray Line.

In 1948, the Kentucky General Assembly enacted the State Police Act, creating the Kentucky State Police force, and making it the 38th state to create a force whose jurisdiction extends throughout the given state. The act was signed July 1 of that year by Governor Earle C. Clements. The force was an outgrowth of the Kentucky Highway Patrol, and inherited the equipment and officers from that organization. Guthrie F. Crowe served as the force's first commissioner.

The department's headquarters and training academy are located in Frankfort. Recruits undergo a 22 week, paramilitary-style training program. After graduation, probationary troopers must complete field training under the supervision of a training trooper.