On Friday, the California Highway Patrol added 119 new officers to its ranks.

The officers are the newest graduates from the CHP Academy and make up the largest graduating class in more than two years, marking progress toward meeting California’s CHP 1000 recruitment campaign.

“I am grateful to these officers for their service and commitment to protecting Californians and our neighborhoods. As this class advances to posts throughout the Golden State, they should do so with pride, knowing that they represent the best of California as public servants dedicated to making a positive difference in their communities,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

This celebratory day marks the end of an intensive 26-week training, with the new officers being sworn in by CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee during a graduation ceremony at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento.

These new officers will report to one of the 102 CHP Area offices throughout the state to begin serving the people of California.

“These individuals have chosen a path of public service and have undergone months of intense training to prepare,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “This career is one of the biggest challenges they will ever undertake, but it is by far the most rewarding. We are honored to welcome them into the CHP family.”

Following the launch of the CHP 1,000 recruitment campaign and other recent recruitment efforts and hiring investments — including a new recruitment web series, “Cadets” — CHP reports increased numbers of cadets this year. California continues to see more applicants and recruits.

With Friday’s class, a total of 528 officers have been added to CHP’s ranks in 2024, surpassing the total number of officers sworn in during 2023. Since 2023, more than 900 cadets have been sworn in as CHP officers.

Training at the CHP Academy is comprehensive, beginning with a foundation in nobility in policing, leadership, ethics and cultural diversity.

Cadets also receive specialized instruction in responding to mental health crises, vehicle patrol, crash investigation, first aid, and apprehending impaired drivers. Additional training covers traffic control, report writing, stolen vehicle recovery, assisting motorists, emergency scene management, and mastery of the California Vehicle Code, Penal Code, and Health and Safety Code.

You can be one of the 1,000 new CHP officers ready to make a difference. Apply and register for an upcoming hiring seminar.

The CHP has seen an outpouring of interest in joining the ranks since the onset of a multiyear recruitment campaign in June 2022. In the first six months of 2024, the CHP received more than 11,700 cadet applications – a 58% increase from the same period in 2022.

Last year more than 19,500 applications were submitted to the department by people interested in a career serving the public as an officer. With more than 16,000 applications submitted in the first eight months of 2024, the CHP is on track to surpass the total from last year.

To accommodate the surge of interest, the CHP has been holding three Academy classes simultaneously for the first time in the Department’s history. The next CHP Academy graduation is scheduled for Nov. 15.

California has invested resources and personnel since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety. In 2023, as part of California’s Real Public Safety Plan, the governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety.
A recording of the ceremony is available here.

For more information about a career with the CHP, visit the agency’s website or join them at a hiring seminar on Saturday, Sept. 21.