Highway Patrol academy underway

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The 63rd Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy is underway.

The Oklahoman reports (http://bit.ly/1zFigmV ) that 53 cadets reported to the Robert R. Lester Training Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday for the start of the academy.

The cadets went through an extensive application and screening process before being admitted to the academy. During the next 20 weeks, they will go through a rigorous law enforcement training program that will include physical workouts and education and training that will encompass a variety of subjects, including ethics, criminal law, firearms and self-defense.

A pay raise for Oklahoma troopers went into effect at the beginning of the year to help bolster recruitment and retention of personnel. It was the first across-the-board increase for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in eight years.