| Agencyname: | Kentucky Highway Patrol |
| Abbreviation: | KHP |
| Flag: | Flag of Kentucky.svg |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of Kentucky |
| Formedyear: | 1936 |
| Dissolved: | July 1, 1948 |
| Superseding: | Kentucky State Police |
| Country: | United States |
| Countryabbr: | USA |
| Divtype: | Commonwealth (U.S. state) |
| Divname: | Kentucky |
| Sizearea: | 40434sqmi |
| Legaljuris: | opsjuris |
| Police: | Yes |
| Sworntype: | Officer |
The Kentucky Highway Patrol was founded in 1936 when the Division of Highway Patrol was created as a part of the Kentucky State Highway Department.[1] [2] The Highway Patrol began with 40 officers who enforced traffic laws on Kentucky roads.[1] [2] By 1948 the Kentucky Highway Patrol had 200 officers.[1]
The 1939–40 Police Blue Book published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police listed 146 employees, 56 patrol cars, and 21 motorcycles for the Kentucky Highway Patrol.[3]
On July 1, 1948, the Kentucky Highway Patrol was abolished due to the passage of the State Police Act, which was promoted by Governor Earle C. Clements. The Kentucky Highway Patrol was replaced by the Kentucky State Police, a new agency whose officers had full police powers, not limited to traffic laws. The new Kentucky State Police inherited the officers and equipment of the Kentucky Highway Patrol.
Six officers died in the line of duty during the Kentucky Highway Patrol's 12-year history.[4]
| Rank | Name | Date of Death | Cause of Death | Age | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrolman | James Powell Hays | December 21, 1935 | Shot and killed along with Patrolman Robert Rowland while questioning 2 brothers about a stolen vehicle; Rowland died due to injuries the following day | 38 | Franklin, Kentucky | |
| Patrolman | Robert Rowland | December 22, 1935 | Shot along with Patrolman James Powell Hays while questioning 2 brothers about a stolen vehicle; Hays was killed immediately while Rowland succumbed to his injuries a day later | 52 | Franklin, Kentucky | |
| Captain | Vernon C. Snellen | February 20, 1937 | Killed while riding with Lieutenant Ed Blue; the car's accelator got stuck and went into oncoming lanes on the wet road, the Lieutenant and all occupants of the other car survived | 41 | On the Lexington Pike in Scott County, Kentucky | |
| Patrolman | Mose Hurt Littrell | March 14, 1938 | Shot and killed while off-duty; Littrell attempted to arrest a drunk man on the side of the interstate on March 13, 1938; he succumbed to his injuries the following day | 47 | On East Highway 80 near Sand Gap, Kentucky | |
| Patrolman | Houston Greene | May 18, 1944 | Shot and killed during an ambush while walking out of a drug store | 47 | Pineville, Kentucky | |
| Patrolman | Vadas G. Richardson | October 7, 1944 | Shot and killed while attempting to help a stopped car off the side of the road | 33 | On Highway 25 near London, Kentucky |