Wednesday, August 18, 2010

New Troopers Graduate Training Academy This Week

NEWS RELEASE – #2010-43

DATE: August 18, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW TROOPERS GRADUATE TRAINING ACADEMY THIS WEEK

On Thursday, the Kansas Highway Patrol’s 20 newest troopers (Class #49) will graduate from the Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy in Salina after undergoing five months of rigorous training. These graduates will be stationed throughout the state in areas where additional coverage is much needed.

“This is an exciting time for the Patrol,” Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Terry Maple said. “These new troopers will hit the road and have been assigned to areas where we’ve needed more help for quite some time. We haven’t graduated a class from the Academy since 2008, and it is long overdue.”

Speaking at the event will be Governor Mark Parkinson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary with the U.S. Department of Justice, and Maple. The Class President will give a class response, and KHP Classes #20 and 21 (who graduated in 1984 and 1985) will be recognized. The Roll of Honor for KHP’s 10 officers lost in the line of duty will be read, as well as recognition to those Kansas officers who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in the past year.

Due to budget, this is the first training class the Kansas Highway Patrol has had since the 10 members of Class #48 graduated in December 2008. Last year, the Patrol was awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a Domestic Highway Enforcement Team to help combat crime on the rural and interstate highways of Kansas. With the creation of this team, and moving team members to the newly created unit, the funding originally used for team members’ salaries then went toward hiring and training a new class.

Graduation information is as follows:

DATE: August 19, 2010
1:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy
2025 E. Iron Avenue
Salina, Kansas 67401

The class will have undergone 897 hours of training upon their graduation. Their training covers law enforcement-related topics including car stops, Kansas law, physical training, firearms, and more. Upon graduation from the Training Academy, the new troopers will undergo 70 days in field training with their Field Training Officers in the areas of the state in which they will be stationed.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

A New School Year Begins

This week many school districts across the state will begin a new school year. KHP Troopers have been busy inspecting over 9,000 school buses and activity vehicles in preparation for the new school year. Annually school buses are inspected to ensure they are compliant with safety regulations, and are safe for the transportation of children to and from school.

While these inspections are important, they are not the only safety measures needed to ensure the safety of our children. It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to teach their children how to be safe around school buses. When boarding, children should be taught to stay clear of the school bus until it has come to a complete stop, all warning lights and stop arm have been activated, and the door has opened. They should check to make sure all traffic has come to a stop before crossing any roads. When departing the bus, children should remain seated until it has come to a complete stop, warning lights and stop arm are activated and the driver has opened the door. Children departing the bus should check for traffic before crossing any roads, and should move a safe distance away from the bus while it drives away.

Motorists driving in the vicinity of a school bus should be reminded that it is illegal, and extremely dangerous to pass a school bus displaying an activated stop arm and red lights. (KHP troopers occasionally ride along in school buses to observe for illegal passing and other violations, they radio the violations to other troopers in the area for enforcement action.) Passing a school bus displaying a stop arm and lights carries a fine of $315, plus court costs of $93.50.

Motorists driving in the vicinity of schools need to be aware of school speed zones, children crossing the street, and should avoid distracted driving of any kind.

Parents, if you transport your children to school, make sure all occupants in your vehicle are restrained in the proper type of safety restraint, no matter the distance you are traveling.

Students, if you are driving to school, make sure you are abiding by the restrictions placed on your driving privileges, avoid distracted driving of any kind, and ensure that you and your passengers are properly restrained.

We wish each of you a safe school year!


Do you have questions or suggestions? If so, please send them via e-mail to: KSHighwayPatrol@khp.ks.gov.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Poster Contest Presents Great Opportunity for KS Kids

Before the kids get back to school, there’s a great opportunity awaiting them. Annually, many public safety-minded organizations join to support Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day. For the past few years, a poster contest for children has been co-sponsored by the Kansas Department of Transportation and AAA in conjunction with the event.

October 10, 2010 is Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day this year, and it also marks the 10th Anniversary of the day promoting safety. Every year there are nearly 34,000 people who die on the nation’s roadways. This equates to 93 fatalities every day, or one every 15 minutes somewhere in the U.S. Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day promotes reducing all fatalities, and it’s been compared to the Great American Smoke Out, that by having one initial fatality-free day would be the seed leading toward zero fatalities on our roads.

In support of Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, Kansas kids ages 5-13 are invited to participate by submitting a poster which represents their thoughts on Put the Brakes on Fatalities. Great prizes are offered, including for regional winners, a new bicycle and helmet, courtesy of Wal-Mart stores statewide and Safe Kids Kansas, and for statewide winners, a $50 fuel card, courtesy of Quik Trip Corporation, and a family package to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City.

Entries must be postmarked by Sept. 3, 2010 to be eligible, so there’s plenty of time for Kansas kids to put their creative talents to good use and possibly win one of the prizes. The contest is split into age groups of 5-7 years old; 8-10 years old; and 11-13 years old. An added benefit of this contest is encouraging children to think about safety in vehicles.

For rules and requirements on the poster contest: http://www.ksdot.org/images/Poster-contest-flier-2010.pdf. For more information on Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, go to: http://www.brakesonfatalities.org/