Pennsylvania State Police Academy

Pennsylvania State Police cadets at a fitness session for the media at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey in 2014.

(CHRISTINE BAKER/File photo)

Cheating allegations at the State Police Academy prompted a review of testing practices, as well as the removal of 29 cadets who were likely involved to date.

"We won't tolerate anyone who lies, cheats or steals," Commissioner Tyree Blocker said, following a Senate budget hearing in Harrisburg. "The public has, and rightfully so, an expectation that members of the State Police have the highest integrity and I am insistent on that."

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Tyree Blocker

Blocker said the investigation of cheating, which was discovered by a staff member in December, has expanded beyond the individual cadets involved to include a review of the testing procedures themselves.

Police sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity previously told PennLive that a cheat sheet was found at the Hershey academy. Sources familiar with the academy's training regimen -- which includes written exams and tests of driving ability and physical fitness -- have said that some of the test materials haven't changed between classes, leaving open a possible vulnerability in the process.

"That's part of the ongoing investigation to address our whole testing methodology," Blocker said. "We're making sure to address those in a very comprehensive manner."

Blocker, who was confirmed by the Senate in December, said the academy's 144th class began with 116 cadets. In addition to the 29 who were implicated in the cheating incident, another 18 cadets left for a number of other personal reasons. That left 69 cadets in the class, which is scheduled to graduate in March.

The cadets who were implicated in the cheating incident left through a combination of being dismissed and resigning, he said.

Such cadet classes normally see some degree of attrition, although the cheating incident led to concern about the ongoing staffing shortfall due to retirements.

"What we will look at as we move forward (will be to) determine how many troopers we need in future classes to make up for the shortfall in the 144th class," he said, following the hearing.

Blocker said the investigation has not implicated any members of the academy staff or cadets in the 145th class, but added that investigators are still working.

"We're working very diligently at bringing some closure to the investigation," he said. "I want to make it clear: We will not leave any stone unturned when it comes to the integrity of the Pennsylvania State Police."

The State Police Academy in Hershey.

The commissioner and several of his top staffers were at the Capitol to answer questions about Gov. Tom Wolf's budget plan for the agency. With that regard, Blocker said he believed the agency had "the resources and level of expertise to address this issue."

Cadets receive a $1,200 biweekly salary during their time at the academy. After graduation, the cadets begin an 18-month probationary period at their assigned troop. They are not required to reimburse training costs if they leave before completing the academy, regardless of how they leave.

The cheating investigation had not prompted any review of that compensation, Blocker said. Changes to staffing at the academy, meanwhile, had already been in the pipeline prior to the investigation.