Kentucky State Police say SERVS radio buildout will stall without $107.4M to finish closeout phase

Kentucky State Police officials told the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee on Wednesday that the statewide SERVS radio modernization project has made measurable progress but faces a critical funding shortfall that could halt the final phase.

"Phase one has been completed. Phase two is 77% complete and phase three is 70% complete," David Barker, communications branch manager for KSP, told the committee. Barker and consultant Brandon Marshall said the closeout phase — which covers posts 9, 10 and 13 and a set of additional tower sites — was estimated in April 2026 to require $107,427,000 and is not funded.

KSP urged the legislature to consider the operational risks if funding is delayed. "If we don't get the funding by June of next year, then we're going to be kind of stalled," Barker said, noting that the project has active contracts for existing funds and that stall would prevent starting the closeout work. Committee members emphasized that the three posts in the closeout phase have historically been among the most dangerous for troopers and urged prioritizing funding.

KSP outlined how the program is being executed in phases and noted some near-term gains: additional posts and local agencies have been brought online where coverage allows and KSP continues incremental testing and activations. Officials said phase 3A (post 8, 11 and 14 subwork) is 52% complete and that some sites are expected to be finished by December 2026, while greenfield tower construction remains underway for other sites.

Lawmakers asked about drivers of delay and cost escalation; KSP identified multiple causes over the program’s lifetime, including phased appropriations, land-acquisition timing and procurement structure. Officials said contractor relationships have improved recent acquisition speed and urged an after-action review once the project closes to document lessons learned.

The committee did not take an immediate funding vote. Members requested further detail on cost estimates and a post-completion after-action review to clarify where procurement, contracting and funding decisions can be improved for future multiyear infrastructure projects.