Two Clinton County men were among the newest class of troopers who were presented diplomas last week.

Jason Warinner, of Albany, and Brian Gibson, formerly of Albany and a current Burkesville resident, have both been assigned to the Post 15 area in Columbia.

The Kentucky State Police Academy presented diplomas to 40 new troopers at ceremonies held last week in Frankfort. Their addition to the force brings the agency’s strength to a total of 948 troopers serving the citizens of the Commonwealth.

The new troopers were part of the agency’s third Law Enforcement Accelerated Program (LEAP), a condensed course for current police officers who have three years of Kentucky Police Officer Professional Standards (POPS) law enforcement experience. They started an 11-week training cycle on April 15, 2012 in a class that consisted of 48 cadets. Eight resigned during the weeks of constant mental and physical challenges that followed.

The training included more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study in subjects such as constitutional law, juvenile and traffic law, use of force, weapons training, defensive tactics, first aid, high speed vehicle pursuit, criminal investigation, computer literacy, hostage negotiations, evidence collection, radio procedures, search and seizure, crash investigation, drug identification, traffic control, crowd control, armed robbery response, land navigation, electronic crimes, sex crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence, bomb threats and hazardous materials.

“Governor Beshear continues to show his support for the Kentucky State Police and keeping our rural communities safe by allowing us to continue running cadet classes during these tough budgetary times,” said KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer.

Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown addressed the cadets and noted that they have served in 28 different law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth and collectively represent 215 years of law enforcement experience. “But what makes them different now is the patch they wear on their shoulders and the word ‘Trooper.’”

“The Kentucky State Police is often described as the Thin Gray Line,” he said, “but don’t mistake that as a weak gray line. Thin is used because we often only see the edge of the sword. Although they cover the entire state, you often only see one or two at a time. What you don’t see is the length and depth of the sword and you don’t often realize how deeply that sword will cut if it becomes necessary.”

“Their numbers are not as great as they have been in the past, but their quality and commitment has never been better,” he added. “The line is long and it may appear thin, but it is endless.”

Several members of the class earned special recognitions including valedictorian Sean Wint, of Hopkinsville, Ky., and salutatorian Eric Moore, of Somerset, Ky.

Wint also received the Ernie Bivens Award, an honor presented to the cadet who, in the opinion of the KSP Academy staff supported by input from the cadets themselves, shows distinction as a class leader, strives for academic excellence and has excelled in all phases of the academy’s physical and vocational training, and the Overall Physical Training Award.

The new troopers will be supervised by a training officer for six to eight weeks after reporting to their post duty assignments.

KSP will begin accepting applications for its next traditional, 23-week cadet class on Aug. 1, 2012. The class is scheduled for the summer of 2013. Additional information and testing dates will be announced at that time.

Applicants must be 21 years of age, a U.S. citizen, in good health and possess a valid driver’s license with no more than six driver demerit points. Applicants must also possess a minimum of 60 semester hours from an accredited college or university or be a high school graduate with at least two years of either active military duty or experience as a full-time, sworn law enforcement officer.

Anyone interested in obtaining more information after visiting the website can call 1-866-360-3165 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, or leave a message any other time.

The Kentucky State Police is a law enforcement agency that prides itself on attracting the best individuals to become law enforcement personnel. KSP affords equal employment opportunity to all individuals, regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender or age. To view the KSP Equal Employment Opportunity Plan, click on: http://www.kentuckystatepolice.org/pdf/EEOP_Short_Form.pdf

Jason Warinner, left, and Brian Gibson were among 40 graduates of the latest Kentucky State Police Trooper Academy to earn diplomas last week. Both have been assigned to the Post 15 Columbia area.