We told you last week about a new state crime report that shows a decline in several violent crime categories, including homicide, assault, robbery and sex related crimes.

Today, the Kentucky State Police commissioner, Phillip barnett Jr testified to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services in Frankfort.

He told the committee that support for police helped make those improved numbers possible.

You know, with the you know, with the raises that was administered to Kentucky State Police and also other, you know, aspects to help our agency, it's really warded off retirements and resignations.

It's dramatically increased our recruitment.

It's increased our numbers.

When I was here two years ago, we were hovering around in the seven hundreds with the class Kentucky State police sworn all three that will be graduating August 11th will be up around 940.

And we planned on starting another class in January.

And right now we already have in excess of 500 applications.

That's that.

Those numbers are phenomenal for us.

And Commissioner Barnett talked about the recent success in stopping fentanyl and meth.

Our number one arrest, our illegal drugs.

We've really expanded our criminal interdiction teams and some of the illegal drug seizures that we have across this state are phenomenal.

Huge seizures of fentanyl, methamphetamine, illegal firearms, those type things.

They're working every day to ensure that if they do come into this state, that we're taking them off our streets and out of our communities.

Commissioner Barnett told lawmakers that tougher laws plus treatment are both needed to help fight Kentucky's drug problem.