120 CHP officers sworn in as state reaches more than 3,200 recruits since 2019

The governor’s office said 120 cadets graduated today from the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento, the last class the office said the Academy will graduate this year.

The office said this brings the total number of CHP officers sworn in since 2019 to more than 3,200; the release said the department has sworn in 382 officers in 2026.

The governor’s office said cadets complete a 26-week program that includes about 1,275 hours of academic, tactical and scenario-based instruction and that the curriculum exceeds state training standards.

The release said graduates will be assigned to CHP’s 101 Area offices across the state to begin a field training program alongside experienced officers; in the Journal’s assessment, that assignment will put more officers on patrol and in communities across California.

CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee is quoted in the release saying, "The badge represents the trust the people of California place in these officers. Throughout their careers, they must earn that trust every day through integrity, professionalism and service."

The release highlights two graduates by name: Officer John Merrick, assigned to the San Jose Area office, and Officer Nathan Mundine, assigned to the Hayward Area office; the release summarizes their prior service and training pathways.

The CHP Academy marked 50 years in West Sacramento this year; the office said the facility was dedicated July 23, 1976, and has housed generations of cadets since.

The governor’s office connected the recruit push to a broader public safety strategy and cited statewide crime declines in 2025 across major categories; those results are presented in the release as evidence the strategy is producing results.

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