So You Want To Be An Arkansas State Trooper?

Have you ever been driving down the highway in Arkansas and an Arkansas State Police Trooper flies by pursuing a fleeing suspect?

It's becoming more often as in 2023 Arkansas State Troopers were involved in a record number of pursuits 620, according to a report from KLRT-TV Fox16. That is an increase of 53 percent since 2019 when the number was 404 and if you think that's something this next stat is even more alarming. Tactical Vehicle Interventions (TVIs) were a shocking 251 compared to 83 in 2019 an increase of 200 percent.

Did you know that state troopers have to go through a vigorous training course to learn how to drive under these highly stressed situations that could be a matter of life or death?

No Room for Error

There is no room for the slightest error when driving at a high rate of speed pursuing a suspect on a busy highway. State troopers train at a facility in North Little Rock Camp Robinson where they have to pass numerous tests and driving skills to get a passing grade.

The test is not easy, first, you have to take a high-level stress test on a cone course and must meet a certain time requirement to pass that phase of the training. Then it's on to the next stage where they have to drive a high rate of speed on a 2.8-mile track with twists and turns that test their patience and durability while learning how to drive safely within a certain time to pass.

The last phase is the one most troopers have a hard time with it's a straight-away TVI track that will get the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing as you drive even faster while determining several factors before pursuing a suspect as described in the video below.

To pass this test you have to take about a dozen tests a year because when this happens in a real-life situation there is a risk involved from the state trooper, the suspect being pursued, and other drivers on the road.

According to KLRT Fox 16, of the TVIs that were performed last year no trooper or civilian was killed, but six suspects who fled were killed.

Here's more on the Arkansas State Police training video.

See Lisa's story on where the Sexiest State Trooper Uniforms ranked in Texas, Arkansas, and America.