(LEX 18) — Last month, LEX 18 Investigates told the story of allegations of sexism and a lack of gender diversity in the Kentucky State Police.
Since then, the agency announced that its new cadet class is its largest since 2014. This class is made up of 103 cadets and five of them are women.
LEX 18’s Leigh Searcy spoke with KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. in a brief phone interview for the previous story. Afterward, we requested an in-person interview with Burnett, the agency’s top-ranking official, to learn more about recruitment efforts.
The agency instead offered an interview with a sergeant and trooper from KSP’s recruitment branch.
KSP Recruitment Branch Commander Sgt. Michael Murriell and Trooper Tiffany Bond are working to grow KSP’s ranks, with an emphasis on women and minorities.
Kentucky State Police has more than 1,000 sworn personnel, 28 of whom are women. That means about 2.75% of the agency’s sworn force are women.
“If someone is concerned about our numbers, then come join us,” Bond said. “Come be that difference.”
Bond said in her time as a trooper she’s worked the roads and been a detective before becoming a full-time recruiter.
We asked if women have always been welcomed as cadets.
“That I'm aware of, yes,” Bond said. “I was always welcomed just like anyone else.”
Bond is currently the only woman working full-time in the agency’s recruitment branch.
Murriell said the recruiting branch is hoping to expand.
“A lot of it is just being visible, and that's part of the reason why we changed the way we recruit people,” Murriell said. “We want our recruiters to reflect what the population in Kentucky looks like, and it's hard to envision yourself as a trooper if you don't see someone who looks like you.”
