State Police Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski today announced that 157 individuals have been invited to begin training Monday to become Pennsylvania state troopers.

"These cadets will receive 28 weeks of intense classroom and physical training," Pawlowski said. "Those who complete this training will join an organization with a long record of distinguished service to the citizens of the commonwealth."The state police worked with Gov. Edward G. Rendell to ensure there would be a cadet class this year despite the state's budget deficit.Pawlowski said 31 of those invited to join the class are veterans of the U.S. military and 13 are women. The prospective cadets come from 47 counties in Pennsylvania.Major John W. Laufer III, director of the State Police Bureau of Training and Education, will supervise the cadets' training. The cadets reporting next week will be members of the 131st class to be trained at the State Police Academy in Hershey, Dauphin County, which opened in 1960.For more information, visit

www.psp.state.pa.us