Kansas Highway Patrol

Kansas Highway Patrol
Patch of the Kansas Highway Patrol
Logo of the Kansas Highway Patrol
Badge of the Kansas Highway Patrol
Flag of Kansas
Abbreviation	KHP
Motto	Service · Courtesy · Protection
Agency overview
Formed	1937; 87 years ago (1937)
Preceding agency	Kansas Motor Vehicle Inspectors
Employees	738 (2023)[1]
Annual budget	$110,457,688 (2023)[2]
Legal personality	State agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Kansas, US
Kansas Highway Patrol Troop Map
Size	82,277 square miles (213,100 km^2)
Population	2,937,150 (2022 est.)[3]
Legal jurisdiction	Statewide[4]
Primary governing body	Government of Kansas
Secondary governing body	Governor of Kansas
Constituting instrument	K.S.A. Ch. 74, Art. 21[5]
Operational structure
Headquarters	Topeka, Kansas
Sworn members	478 (authorised, as of 2023)[1]
Civilian members	271 Civilian members (2023)[1]
Agency executive	Colonel Erik Smith, Superintendent
Facilities
Troops / Units	27
Notables
Award	CALEA TRI-ARC Award[6]
Website
kansashighwaypatrol.org

The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Kansas. While the patrol's primary focus is maintaining the safety of State, Federal and Interstate highways, it also is charged with providing support for county agencies when tactical, aerial or other specialized services are needed. The Kansas Highway Patrol has statewide jurisdiction, and frequently assists other agencies with emergency calls for service.

History

In 2011, the KHP purchased the last-produced Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for its fleet.^[7]

Morale controversy

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.^[8][9][10]

Organization

The Kansas Highway Patrol is under the direction of the superintendent, who holds the rank of colonel. The superintendent is appointed by the Governor of Kansas. The superintendent appoints an assistant superintendent who holds the rank of lieutenant colonel to assist them. Under the assistant superintendent are five executive commanders who hold the rank of major. These officers comprise the executive command staff of the Patrol.^[11]

The Patrol is organized into several divisions, and each are overseen by an executive commander. Each division or region is further divided by its geographical area of responsibility (known as a "troop") or its function. Each troop or functional group is overseen by a commander who holds the rank of captain. Administrative groups are overseen by a civilian director. Each troop is further divided into "zones" of one or several counties. Each zone is overseen by a field supervisor who holds the rank of lieutenant.^[11]

Kansas Highway Patrol Organization^[11]

Division	Troop	Headquarters	Major Duties	Areas of Responsibility
East Region	Troop A	Olathe, Kansas	Law enforcement	Kansas City Metropolitan Area: Johnson County, Leavenworth County, Miami County, and Wyandotte County
East Region	Troop B	Topeka, Kansas	Law enforcement	Northeast Kansas: Atchison County, Brown County, Doniphan County, Douglas County, Franklin County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Nemaha County, Osage County, Pottawatomie County, Shawnee County, and Wabaunsee County
East Region	Troop K	Topeka, Kansas	Capitol Police	Kansas State Capitol, Kansas Governor's Mansion, and state properties in Topeka
East Region	Fleet Operations	Topeka, Kansas	Vehicle procurement, issue, maintenance, and sales	Statewide
North Region	Troop C	Salina, Kansas	Law enforcement	North central Kansas: Chase County, Clay County, Cloud County, Dickinson County, Ellsworth County, Geary County, Jewell County, Lincoln County, Marion County, Marshall County, McPherson County, Mitchell County, Morris County, Ottawa County, Republic County, Riley County, Saline County, and Washington County
North Region	Troop D	Hays, Kansas	Law enforcement	Northwest Kansas: Cheyenne County, Decatur County, Ellis County, Gove County, Graham County, Logan County, Norton County, Osborne County, Phillips County, Rawlins County, Rooks County, Russell County, Sheridan County, Sherman County, Smith County, Thomas County, Trego County, and Wallace County
North Region	Troop G	Wichita, Kansas	Law enforcement on the Kansas Turnpike	I-35 from the Oklahoma state line to Emporia, I-335 from Emporia to Topeka, I-470 in southeastern Topeka, and I-70 from Topeka to Kansas City
North Region	Troop I	Topeka, Kansas	Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) and Critical Highway Accident Response Team (CHART)	Statewide
South Region	Troop E	Garden City, Kansas	Law enforcement	Southwest Kansas: Clark County, Comanche County, Edwards County, Finney County, Ford County, Grant County, Gray County, Greeley County, Hamilton County, Haskell County, Hodgeman County, Kearny County, Kiowa County, Lane County, Meade County, Morton County, Ness County, Pawnee County, Rush County, Scott County, Seward County, Stanton County, Stevens County, and Wichita County
South Region	Troop F	Wichita, Kansas	Law enforcement	South central Kansas: Barber County, Barton County, Butler County, Cowley County, Harper County, Harvey County, Kingman County, Pratt County, Reno County, Rice County, Sedgwick County, Stafford County, and Sumner County
South Region	Troop H	Chanute, Kansas	Law enforcement	Southeast Kansas: Allen County, Anderson County, Bourbon County, Chautauqua County, Cherokee County, Coffey County, Crawford County, Elk County, Greenwood County, Labette County, Linn County, Lyon County, Montgomery County, Neosho County, Wilson County, and Woodson County
South Region	Emergency Operations / Homeland Security	Topeka, Kansas	Administration of the agency's Homeland Security Grant Program	Statewide
South Region	Public and Governmental Affairs	Topeka, Kansas	Public information, recruiting, research, and legislative representation	Statewide
South Region	Accreditation	Topeka, Kansas	Establishing CALEA accreditation and maintaining compliance	Statewide
Special Operations	Troop J	Salina, Kansas	Intra-agency training, inter-agency training, and recruit academy	Statewide
Special Operations	Troop S	Topeka, Kansas	Special Response Team (SRT) and Police Service Dog Unit (PSDU)	Statewide
Special Operations	Troop N	Topeka, Kansas	Domestic Highway Enforcement Team (DHET), DEA Task Force, Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center (KIFC), and evidence management	Statewide
Special Operations	Troop T	Topeka, Kansas	Aircraft operations	Statewide
Administrative Services	Troop M	Topeka, Kansas	Communications and CJIS	Statewide
Administrative Services	Troop V	Topeka, Kansas	Motor vehicle enforcement	Statewide
Administrative Services	Fiscal Management	Topeka, Kansas	Budgeting and accounting	Statewide
Administrative Services	Human Resources	Topeka, Kansas	Human resource management	Statewide
Administrative Services	Information Technology	Topeka, Kansas	Information technology management	Statewide
Administrative Services	Records	Topeka, Kansas	Records management	Statewide
Assistant Superintendent's Office	Legal Counsel	Topeka, Kansas	Legal affairs	Statewide
Superintendent's Office	Professional Standards Unit	Topeka, Kansas	Internal affairs	Statewide
Superintendent's Office	Troop L	Topeka, Kansas	Protective Services Unit	Statewide

Rank structure

Title	Insignia	Description
Superintendent (Colonel)		The Superintendent holds the Rank of colonel, appointed by the Governor of Kansas to be the professional head of the Department
Assistant Superintendent (Lieutenant Colonel)		The Assistant Superintendent holds the Rank of lieutenant colonel, second-in-command of Patrol, appointed by the Superintendent
Major		Majors are Regional and Division Commanders
Captain		Captains are Troop Commander
Lieutenant		Lieutenants are First Line Supervisors
Technical Trooper		Rank held by veteran Troopers assigned to a technical specialty (e.g. Bomb Technicians, Aircraft Pilots, Canine Handlers, Task Force Officers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers,etc.).
Master Trooper		Rank attained by Trooper after completion of 5 years of service and completion of advanced professional training.
Trooper		Rank attained by Recruits upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for field law enforcement patrol.
Trooper Trainee (Recruit)		This rank is held by law enforcement officers while attending the KHP training academy.

Pay and pensions

Officers of the Kansas Highway Patrol begin their career as trooper trainees in the training academy at a base hourly rate. Upon graduation, a pay increase occurs, followed by another the beginning of their fourth year. Upon their fifth year, troopers are eligible for promotion to Master or Technical Trooper with an accompanying increase in pay. Additional years of service and experience qualify troopers for promotion to lieutenant (pay grade 38), captain (pay grade 40), and major (pay grade 42).^[12]

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Pay Structure^[13]

Rank	Time in Rank	Pay	Pay Grade	Pay Step
Trooper Trainee	During academy training	$25.68 per hour	27	14
Trooper	0-3 Years	$28.31 per hour	30	12
Trooper	4-5 Years	$29.73 per hour	30	14
Master/Technical Trooper	0-3 Years	$31.22 per hour	35	6
Master/Technical Trooper	4-5 Years	$32.78 per hour	35	8
Master/Technical Trooper	6-8 Years	$34.42 per hour	35	10
Master/Technical Trooper	9-10 Years	$36.13 per hour	35	12
Master/Technical Trooper	11-13 Years	$37.95 per hour	35	14
Master/Technical Trooper	14-15 Years	$39.84 per hour	35	16
Master/Technical Trooper	16+ Years	$41.81 per hour	35	18

Troopers' retirement is administered by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) which provides a defined benefit plan, the Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F).^[13] Contributions are made on a pre-tax basis each pay period, with 7.15% of gross earnings withdrawn automatically. Tier I retirees (those employees who were enrolled in KP&F before July 1, 1989 and did not choose Tier II coverage) and Tier II retirees (all employees hired on or before July 1, 1989 or those who were hired earlier and chose Tier II coverage) may retire and are vested at different times.^[14]

KP&F Retirement Service and Age Requirements

Tier I	Tier II	Tier I Transfer	Tier II Transfer
Age 55 with 20 years of service	Age 50 with 25 years of service	Age 50 with 25 years of service	Age 50 with 25 years of service
Any age with 32 years of service	Age 55 with 20 years of service		Age 55 with 20 years of service
	Age 60 with 15 years of service		Age 60 with 15 years of service

In addition to the provided pension, employees are eligible to enroll in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) 457(b) deferred compensation plan, known as KPERS 457.^[15]

Officers of the agency

Kansas Trooper in a Ford Crown Victoria

Kansas Highway Patrol Bell 407

State Troopers

State troopers are certified law enforcement officers who enforce Kansas laws. Troopers have law enforcement jurisdiction throughout the state.^[16]

Capitol Police Officers

The Kansas Capitol Police, as they are known today, are members of a specialty troop of the Kansas Highway Patrol (Troop K). The Capitol Police originally became part of the Kansas Highway Patrol in 1976, under the designation of Kansas Capitol Area Security Patrol, or C.A.S.P.

In the early days of C.A.S.P., the police officers of this special unit were statutorily only allowed to enforce laws on or about state property; leaving them powerless to act on a violation of the law when traveling from one property to another.

In 1995 The Kansas Legislature gave county wide law enforcement jurisdiction to the Capitol Police, and several years thereafter full statewide jurisdiction. With this added jurisdiction and the expanding role of C.A.S.P. legislation was also passed to officially change the name of the unit from C.A.S.P. to the Kansas Capitol Police.

Capitol Police Officers carry the same types of weapons and are issued the same types of equipment and vehicles as Kansas State Troopers. Although they are members of the Kansas Highway Patrol, they are considered “officers” not troopers, and wear slightly different uniforms. Most attended other police academies, not the trooper academy. In 2018, five Capitol Police officers attended the entire trooper academy but still graduated as Capitol police. In 2019, two more attended the trooper academy. Those who attended the full trooper academy are allowed to transfer out of Troop K and become a trooper have a specified amount of time in the Capitol.

Troop K is one of only two Kansas Highway Patrol Troops that provide 24-hour, 7-day-a-week police coverage. This coverage currently entails answering calls for service/patrolling over 100 state properties in Shawnee County Kansas, assisting other law enforcement agencies, investigation traffic accidents, intervening in crimes in progress, and traffic enforcement. The Capitol Police are also charged with providing uniformed police protection at the governor's mansion, the statehouse, the insurance regulation building, and the judicial center.^[17]

Equipment

Current Firearms

Name	Type	Caliber	Origin	Notes
Glock 17 Gen 5	Pistol	9mm	Austria	Standard Issue
Glock 19	Pistol	9mm	Austria	Executive Protection Detail & Task Force Troopers
SIG Sauer P226	Pistol	.40 S&W	Germany	Kansas Turnpike (Troop G) Troopers
Remington 870	Shotgun	12 Gauge	United States	Standard Issue
Mossberg 500	Shotgun	12 Gauge	United States	Kansas Turnpike (Troop G) Troopers
Colt M4	Patrol Rifle	5.56mm	United States	Standard Issue to all law enforcement officers
H&K 416	Tactical Rifle	5.56mm	Germany	Special Response Team (SRT)
SIG Sauer MPX	Submachine Gun	9mm	Germany	Executive Protection Detail
H&K MP5SD	Submachine Gun	9mm	Germany	Special Response Team (SRT)

Previous firearms

The last revolver issued was the Smith & Wesson Model 686 .357 Magnum revolver^{[citation needed]}. In 1991, the SIG Sauer P220 .45 ACP was the first semi-automatic pistol carried by the agency until it was replaced in 1998 by the Glock 21 .45 ACP pistol^{[citation needed]}. In 2009, the agency was one of the first in the United States to adopt the Glock 21SF (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)^{[citation needed]}. The Glock 21SF was first issued with a standard Level 1 or Level 2 high gloss leather holster, but the agency would later adopt the Safariland 6360 Level 3 holsters in around 2013–2014^{[citation needed]}. In late 2018, the Patrol transitioned to 9mm with the Glock 17 Gen 5 carried in a Safariland 6360 Level 3 holster^{[citation needed]}. The transition to 9mm was based upon Federal Bureau of Investigation testing which demonstrated a marked ballistic improvement upon earlier technology.^{[citation needed][18]}

• Current Vehicles

  Vehicle Make	Vehicle Model
  Dodge	Charger
  Dodge	Durango
  Ford	Explorer
  Ford	F-150
  Chevrolet	Tahoe
  Ford	Expedition
  Lenco	BearCat

• Current Aircraft^[19]

  Aircraft Make	Aircraft Model	Number in Use
  Bell	407	1
  Cessna	R182 Skylane RG	1
  Cessna	206	3
  Beechcraft	Super King Air 350	1

Vehicle issuance and retirement

Each trooper is issued their own patrol vehicle. Patrol vehicles are retired before reaching 50,000 miles and are subsequently resold to other governmental agencies at a reduced price.^[20]

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Kansas Highway Patrol, 10 officers have died in the line of duty.^[21][22]

Officer	Date of Death	Details
Trooper Maurice R. Plummer	Saturday, December 16, 1944	Automobile accident[23]
Trooper Jimmie D. Jacobs	Tuesday, October 6, 1959	Automobile accident[24]
Trooper John B. McMurray	Wednesday, December 9, 1964	Vehicular assault[25]
Lieutenant Bernard C. Hill	Sunday, May 28, 1967	Automobile accident[26]
Sergeant Eldon K. Miller	Friday, January 19, 1968	Gunfire[27]
Trooper James Donald Thornton	Tuesday, October 2, 1973	Gunfire[28]
Trooper Conroy G. O'Brien	Wednesday, May 24, 1978	Gunfire[29]
Trooper Ferdinand Frederick Pribbenow	Saturday, July 11, 1981	Gunfire[30]
Master Trooper Larry Lee Huff	Friday, November 26, 1993	Automobile accident[31]
Master Trooper Dean Allen Goodheart	Wednesday, September 6, 1995	Struck by vehicle[32]

See also

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

References

1. "Presentation to Senate Committee on Transportation - KHP Staffing Overview" (PDF). Kansas Legislature. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
2. Kansas Highway Patrol FY 2022 - FY 2024 Budget Analysis Kansas Legislature
3. QuickFacts Kansas U.S. Census Bureau
4. "About the Kansas Highway Patrol". Kansas Highway Patrol. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
5. "2019 Statute". Office of Revisor of Statutes, Kansas. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
6. "CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
7. Johnson, Kirk (August 13, 2013). "Officers Are Wistful as Crown Vic, Long a Fleet Staple, Nears Retirement". The New York Times.
8. "KHP survey points to dissatisfaction with leadership, alleged favoritism". CJOnline.com.
9. "Kansas Highway Patrol superintendent to retire". KSN-TV.
10. "Longtime KHP trooper to retire, says so long at his 28th state fair". The Hutchinson News.
11. "Troop Location Map". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
12. ""Pay Grades"" (PDF). Kansas Department of Administration. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
13. ""Salary"". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
14. "KP&F Membership Guide" (PDF). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
15. "Join KPERS 457" (PDF). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
16. "Career Opportunities for Trooper". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
17. "Troop K | Kansas Highway Patrol, KS".
18. "FBI returns to 9mm rounds, once shunned as ineffective - The Washington Post".
19. "Troop T - Aircraft". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
20. "Fleet Operations". kansashighwaypatrol.org. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
21. Kansas Highway Patrol Memorial page http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/memory/memorial.html Archived January 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
22. Officer Down Memorial Page http://www.odmp.org/agency/1938-kansas-highway-patrol-kansas
23. "Honoring our Fallen - Plummer". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
24. "Honoring our Fallen - Jacobs". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
25. "Honoring our Fallen - McMurray". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
26. "Honoring our Fallen - Hill". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
27. "Honoring our Fallen - Miller". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
28. "Honoring our Fallen - Thornton". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
29. "Honoring our Fallen - O'Brien". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
30. "Honoring our Fallen - Pribbenow". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
31. "Honoring our Fallen - Huff". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
32. "Honoring our Fallen - Goodheart". Kansashighwaypatrol.org. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

External links

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