Governor Andy Beshear announced Friday the appointment of Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. as commissioner of the Kentucky State Police.
During a ceremony at the Capitol, with his family in attendance, Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Mary C. Noble swore in Commissioner Burnett.
Commissioner Burnett pledged to continue working with communities across the commonwealth to protect and serve Kentuckians with honor and dignity.
As interim commissioner, Burnett worked to strengthen the agency’s essential workforce, improve public safety and maintain critical services.
He has expanded the recruitment department with the addition of one female trooper, one male trooper and the hiring of three new minority troopers. Kentucky State Police also is collaborating with Dr. Aaron Thompson of the Kentucky Department of Education and Vikki Stone of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet to further improve diversity recruitment efforts.
Commissioner Burnett is a native of Bell County. He received his bachelor of science degree from Union College, where he also holds a teaching certification in secondary education. Since serving with the Kentucky State Police, he has received multiple awards including Post Trooper of the Year, the Citation for Bravery, the Commissioner’s Award and back-to-back Governor’s Awards for Impaired Driving Enforcement. He currently resides in Pineville with his wife and two sons.
The mission of the Kentucky State Police is to promote public safety through service, integrity and professionalism using partnerships to prevent, reduce and deter crime and the fear of crime, enhance highway safety through education and enforcement, and safeguard property and protect individual rights.
You must be logged in to post a comment.