Kansas Highway Patrol

In 1933, the Kansas Legislature, Governor Alfred Landon, and Highway Department Attorney Wint Smith acted to halt the rampant bank robberies and crime sprees of the 1920s and 1930s. They created a force of ten Motor Vehicle Inspectors, forerunners of Kansas Troopers, under the control of the State Highway Commission.[3]

The Legislature officially organized the Kansas Highway Patrol in 1937. A superintendent, assistant superintendent, and 45 troopers were hired to reduce crashes by enforcing traffic, vehicle, and license laws. Kansas City Police Department veteran Jack B. Jenkins was the first superintendent.[3]

The Governor appointed a Superintendent, and the Superintendent appointed the remainder of the Patrol. All appointees had to pass a physical exam and be U.S. citizens, at least 24 years old, of good health and moral character, and without a criminal record. The 1941 Kansas Civil Service Law affected appointment procedures, but as late as 1945, half the appointees had to belong to the governor's political party, and the other half had to be members of the political party that garnered the second highest number of votes in the gubernatorial election.[3]

In the 1950s, the patrol was contracted to patrol the Kansas Turnpike Authority, and Protective Services began with one Trooper providing ground transportation for the Governor. The recruit school moved from the State Reformatory in Hutchinson to the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence. Increasingly, troopers patrolled alone. Before, they always rode in pairs.[3]

In the 1960s, each trooper was assigned a patrol car to improve roadway coverage, and access to the Law Enforcement Teletype System and National Crime Information Center improved the patrol's communications. The first promotional examinations were given, and the former ready-alert facility of the deactivated Schilling Air Force Base in Salina became the patrol's Training Center. Also, the Motor Vehicle Department began examining license applicants, releasing Trooper-Examiners to law enforcement duties.[3]

In 1976, the patrol gained authority over the Capitol Area Security Patrol, which now commonly referred to as the Kansas Capitol Police, or Troop K. In 1988, the responsibility to enforce motor carrier laws was passed from the Department of Revenue to the patrol. As a result, the Patrol inherited Motor Carrier Inspectors and began operation of Motor Carrier Weigh Stations across the state.[3]

In the 1990s, the Patrol had outgrown its training center. The state took over the former Marymount College campus in Salina, to house the training academy, statewide communications center and central region offices.[4][5]

The first female troopers joined the patrol in 1981. Today, the agency actively recruits women and men to be troopers and to fill other uniformed and civilian positions. Besides Troopers, the agency employs Capitol Police Officers, Capitol Area Guards, Motor Carrier Inspectors, Communications Specialists, Vehicle Identification Number Inspectors, Motorist Assistance Technicians, and civilians in a variety of other support positions.[3]

The last revolver issued was the Smith & Wesson Model 586 .357 Magnum revolver. The SIG Sauer P220 .45 Auto was the first semi-automatic pistol carried by the agency in 1991 until it was replaced in 1998 by the Glock 21 .45 Auto pistol. In 2009, the agency was one of the first in the United States to adopt the Glock "SF" (SF, Short Frame) series sidearms (the other state agency to adopt the Glock 21SF shortly after would be the Nebraska State Patrol who still uses them) and the agency chose the Glock 21SF .45 to replace then eleven-year-old Glock 21 pistols that replaced the SIG Sauer P220. The Glock 21SF was first issued with a standard Level 1 or Level 2 high gloss leather holster, but would adopt the Safariland 6360 Level 3 holsters in around 2013–2014. In late 2018, the Patrol transitioned to 9mm with the Glock 17 Gen 5 carried in a Safariland 6360 Level 3 holster. The transition to 9mm was based upon Federal Bureau of Investigation testing showed advances in ballistics technology made modern 9mm ammunition more accurate with more stopping power.[6]

In 2014, amidst many allegations of abuse of power and inconsistent work practices resulting in overall low morale, the University of Kansas School of Business proctored a thorough survey of all KHP Employees that were willing to participate. The results of the survey revealed that the majority held great loyalty to the agency, but believed upper-level command staff needlessly doled out disciplinary actions to those they personally disliked, showed favoritism during promotional processes, and were generally incompetent when it came to making important decisions regarding the overall direction of the patrol. Colonel Ernest Garcia and Lieutenant Colonel Alan Stoecklein were both mentioned by name multiple times in an open-ended section at the end of the survey where employees could comment freely. Kansas State Troopers Association President Mitch Mellick said that the survey revealed concerns that had long been held by troopers across the state regarding labor practices and benefits. Lieutenant Colonel Stoecklein soon thereafter announced his retirement, effective September 15, 2014 and Colonel Ernest Garcia announced he was leaving the agency on January 5, 2015.[7][8][9]

The patrol is under the direction of the Highway Patrol Superintendent, who holds the rank of Colonel within the Patrol. The Superintendent is appointed by the Governor of Kansas. The Superintendent appoints an Assistant Superintendent, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, to assist them. Under the Assistant Superintendent are four Majors who comprise the command staff of the patrol.

The patrol is organized into geographical and functional units, usually referred to as "Troops".[10]

• Troop A (Kansas City Metro – Headquartered in Olathe, Kansas)
• Troop B (Northeast Kansas – Headquartered in Topeka)
• Troop C (North Central Kansas – Headquartered in Salina)
• Troop D (North West Kansas – Headquartered in Hays)
• Troop E (Southwest Kansas – Headquartered in Garden City)
• Troop F (South Central Kansas – Headquartered in Wichita)
• Troop G (Responsible for patrolling the Kansas Turnpike – Headquartered in Wichita)
• Troop H (Southeast Kansas – Headquartered in Chanute)
• Troop I (Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program – Headquartered in Topeka)
• Troop J (Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy in Salina)
• Troop K (Capitol Police in Topeka)
• Troop L (Executive Protection Unit – responsible for personal security of the Governor & Lieutenant Governor)
• Troop M (Central Communications – provides statewide dispatching from Salina)
• Troop N (Domestic Highway Enforcement Team – Headquartered in Topeka)
  • Criminal Interdiction Unit
  • Asset Forfeiture Unit
  • Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force
  • Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center
• Troop S (Emergency Services Unit – Headquartered in Salina)
  • Hazardous Devices Unit (Bomb Technicians and Explosive Detection Canines)
  • Police Service Dog Unit (Dual purpose patrol and drug detection canines)
  • Special Response Team (Part-time tactical response unit)
• Troop T (Aircraft Operations – aircraft stationed in Topeka, Wichita and Hays)
• Troop V (Auto Theft Unit – Headquartered in Topeka)[11]
• Units within General Headquarters in Topeka[11]
  • Office of the Superintendent
  • Emergency Operations / Homeland Security
  • Fleet Services
  • Public and Governmental Affairs
  • Records Section
  • Information Technology
  • Fiscal Management
  • Human Resources
  • General & Criminal Counsel
  • Professional Standards Unit

Since the establishment of the Kansas Highway Patrol, 10 officers have died in the line of duty.[16][17]

• List of law enforcement agencies in Kansas
• State police
• Highway patrol
• Kansas Bureau of Investigation

• Official website
• Kansas Highway Patrol publications at KGI Online Library