© 2024 Kansas Public Radio

91.5 FM | KANU | Lawrence, Topeka, Kansas City
96.1 FM | K241AR | Lawrence (KPR2)
89.7 FM | KANH | Emporia
99.5 FM | K258BT | Manhattan
97.9 FM | K250AY | Manhattan (KPR2)
91.3 FM | KANV | Junction City, Olsburg
89.9 FM | K210CR | Atchison
90.3 FM | KANQ | Chanute

See the Coverage Map for more details

FCC On-line Public Inspection Files Sites:
KANU, KANH, KANV, KANQ

Questions about KPR's Public Inspection Files?
Contact General Manager Feloniz Lovato-Winston at fwinston@ku.edu
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Governor Wants More State Troopers on Kansas Highways

Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy in Salina (Photo by the Kansas State Troopers Association)
Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy in Salina (Photo by the Kansas State Troopers Association)

Kansas has fewer state troopers patrolling the highways these days.  More than half the counties in Kansas have just one trooper assigned to them, or... none at all.  KPR's J. Schafer has more.


==========

(alternate newscast version)

Kansas Governor Wants More State Troopers

The state of Kansas is running low on state troopers.  With just 399 troopers for the entire state,  Lt. Adam Winters says the Kansas Highway Patrol is at its lowest staffing level in a decade.


There are no highway patrol officers assigned to 27 Kansas counties.  Another 34 counties have just one trooper each.  Lt. Winters blames retirement and natural attrition for the shortage, as well as a drop in qualified applicants.  Governor Sam Brownback recently said he wanted to boost the number of troopers but offered no specifics on how to do it.

 

J. Schafer is the News Director of Kansas Public Radio. He’s also the Managing Editor of the Kansas Public Radio Network, which provides news and information to other public radio stations in Kansas and Missouri.