Oklahoma governor signs new bill

OKLAHOMA (KXII) - Oklahoma Highway Patrol joined Governor Kevin Stitt as he signed Senate Bill (SB) 338 Tuesday.

The bill sets forth new educational requirements to become a trooper. State statute says applicants must have 64 college credit hours. This new bill supposedly allows them to get the majority of those credit hours during the academy through a partnership with OSU-OKC. Applicants now only have to have 24 college credit hours to apply to become a trooper and if they have at least 3 years of law enforcement experience, they can apply with no college hours.

OHP said they think this will help in the recruitment of new troopers. They went on to thank Senator Lonnie Paxton, Senator Michael Bergstrom, and Rep. Brian Hill HD47 for authoring the bill.

The 70th Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy begins Monday, August 15, 2022 when 52 cadets, including four females, will report to the Robert R. Lester Training Center. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy is a structured, eighteen-week, dormitory-style academy.

During academy training, cadets will be challenged academically, physically, and mentally. A typical day begins with physical training, drill and ceremony and inspections, before the classroom instruction. The evening hours are used for course studies, assignment completions, practical exercises, and preparation for the following day. The workdays for cadets vary from 12 to 18 hours. Graduation is set for December 22, 2022.

This is the first academy where cadets are able to take advantage of the new state law allowing them to finish their required college credit hours during the academy through a partnership with OSU/OKC. State statute dictates troopers have 62 college credit hours. A new state law allows applicants to apply with only 24 hours of college credit and obtain the remaining 38 during the academy.

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