The newest California Highway Patrol officers, class of 2024. Photo courtesy CHP
The State’s law enforcement arm, the Highway Patrol, is celebrating reaching a milestone in its efforts to boost its ranks.
The CHP announced the swearing in of 121 new officers, “bringing the Department past its goal of hiring over 1,000 officers,” the CHP said in a news release. “This milestone underscores the CHP’s commitment to enhancing public safety and strengthening its presence within communities across the state.”
The ceremony was held at CHP headquarters in West Sacramento on Nov. 15. The badge pinning ceremonies ended the cadets’ months-long (26 weeks) academy training and they will now fan out amongst the CHP’s 102 area offices. There are three CHP offices in SLO County.
The department said the 2024 class is the largest graduating class since June 2022 when they had 128 new hires.
CHP Commissioner, Sean Duryee, said, “Today marks a significant step forward for our agency and all of our communities. By surpassing our recruitment goal, we’re adding highly-trained, committed officers who are ready to make a positive impact and meet the evolving needs of California. We’re grateful for the dedication and passion these officers bring to their new roles.”
The new class is part of the CHP’s stepped-up recruitment campaign that started in June 2022. It’s been an almost instant hit. “With over 21,000 applications submitted in the first 10 months of 2024,” the release said, “the CHP has already surpassed last year’s application total of more than 16,300 over the same period.” That’s a 29% increase year-over-year.
Graduating CHP officers march towards a future of public service. Photo courtesy CHP
This means the CHP trains three cadet classes, over 250 cadets, at the same time at the Sacramento training facility. The grads will be replaced by 160 new cadets starting Dec. 1.
What’s training like? “Training at the CHP Academy is comprehensive, beginning with a foundation of nobility in policing, leadership, ethics, and cultural diversity,” the release said. “Cadets also receive specialized instruction in responding to mental health crises, vehicle patrol, crash investigation, first aid, and impaired driver evaluation.
“Additional training covers traffic control, report writing, stolen vehicle recovery, assisting motorists, emergency scene management, and mastery of the California Vehicle, Penal, and Health and Safety Codes.”
If readers are interested in potentially seeking a career with the CHP, see the website at: chpmadeformore.com/#become-officer.
The CHP is California’s largest statewide law enforcement agency.
