Kentucky State Police

Established in 1948 by the act of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Kentucky State Police is a full-service statewide law enforcement agency. It promotes public safety, identifies and solves criminal cases and safeguards citizens rights. The agency operates a police academy that serves as a comprehensive center for police training. The Kentucky State Police maintains a special response team that deals with high-risk and dangerous situations, including high-risk warrant arrests and explosive devices, as well as heavily armed criminals and barricaded persons. It also has a K-9 unit that handles issues related to drug intervention, tracking, and searches for persons, buildings and evidence. The Kentucky State Police operates a station in Harlan, Ky.