The California Highway Patrol (CHP) welcomed 121 new recruits, successfully surpassing its initial goal of recruiting 1,000 officers set in 2022, the agency said Nov. 15.
“By surpassing our recruitment goal, we’re adding highly-trained, committed officers who are ready to make a positive impact and meet the evolving needs of California,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the dedication and passion these officers bring to their new roles.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged this milestone, adding that more work needs to be done to improve the state’s public safety.
“I want to be clear: that goal has always been about more than just filling slots or hitting a number,” the governor said in the statement.
“Each officer is the very manifestation of public service, of peacekeeping. Every cadet graduating today felt a calling to do right by their community and to make the world safer.”
New California Highway Patrol officers attend their graduation ceremony in Sacramento, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2024. (California Highway Patrol)
Other figures also point to encouraging growth for the agency.
The CHP received over 21,000 applications in the first 10 months of 2024, a 29 percent jump from the 16,300 submitted during the same period last year, the agency said.
To meet the demand, the agency is running three simultaneous cadet classes at its live-in training facility, with more than 250 cadets currently in training. A class of 160 cadets is also expected to arrive at the academy in December.
In June 2022, the state launched a multiyear recruitment campaign, “CHP 1000,” to fill 1,000 vacant officer positions. This class marks the largest graduating class since then—when 128 officers were sworn in—according to CHP.
The CHP saw a sharp increase in vacancy rates over several years, with a 94 percent rise between 2015 and 2023. In 2019, just 5 percent of positions were unfilled, but by 2023, that number had climbed to 16 percent, according to an August report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The LAO did not specify the reasons for the high vacancy rate, but some attribute it to the agency suspending its training academy during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted recruitment. Additionally, a rise in retirements since the pandemic began has further strained staffing levels.
New California Highway Patrol officers attend their graduation ceremony in Sacramento, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2024. (California Highway Patrol)
According to CHP, cadet applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents applying for citizenship, aged 20 to 35, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, pass physical and written tests, and clear a background check with no felony convictions.
Cadets undergo comprehensive training in handling mental health crises, vehicle patrols, crash investigations, first aid, and impaired driver assessments, the CHP said.
They also learn traffic control, report writing, stolen vehicle recovery, assisting motorists, emergency management, and California law.
Additionally, cadets receive instruction in ethics, leadership, and cultural awareness.
The increase in patrol officers appears to have contributed to the state’s efforts to combat rising crime.
Between March and July, the agency had partnered with Bakersfield police to tackle organized crime and vehicle thefts, returning 677 arrests, recovering 338 stolen vehicles, and seized 16 crime-linked firearms.
In recent months, the CHP has also seized significant quantities of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine valued at millions of dollars, during traffic stops.
New California Highway Patrol officers attend their graduation ceremony in Sacramento, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2024. (California Highway Patrol)
