Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 23 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 154

Feb 2

Feb 2 Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 23 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 154

On February 2, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 23 dispatchers from across the state graduated from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.

“Your mission is an important one,” Gov. Beshear said. “You are the lifeline to those who are experiencing the roughest moments of their lives. I am grateful you have chosen this honorable profession.”

Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency. Graduates of the academy have successfully completed a highly structured and comprehensive curriculum to satisfy mandated training requirements. The graduates of Class 154 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements over four weeks. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.

“You have accomplished much during your stay at the academy,” DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek said. “The training you received here has laid a solid foundation for a satisfying career for many years to come. I wish you nothing but the best in your career.”

Class 154 graduates and their agencies are:

Crissy Bentley
Kenton County ECC

Kyle Bowyer
Lexington E-911

Jordan Buckler
Paris/Bourbon County 911

Taylor Jordan Buster
Kenton County ECC

Aliah Brooke Carlisle
Madisonville Police Department

Ethan H. Crowe
Winchester Police Department

Sara Dean-Sivils
Madisonville Police Department

Natasha Gott
Boone County PSCC

Karrie Griggs
Henderson Police Department

Avlin Hardin
Madisonville Police Department

Lyndsey Harrod
Frankfort Police Department

Kaitlyn Howard
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport AOC

Cindy Hurt
Scottsville Police Department

Jennifer Jett
Bracken County 911

Jeanna Kinkade
Muhlenberg County 911

Cierra Loyd
City of Paducah 911

Jheran Tyelin May
Pike County Sheriff’s Office

Leslie Miller
Lee County 911

Marquita S. Miller
Estill County 911 Dispatch

Patricia I. Nolan
Lexington E-911

Zoe Oswald
Warren County Sheriff’s Office

Frederick Thieme
Breckinridge County Sheriff’s Office

Maya Wright
Bowling Green Police Department

DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police, airport police throughout the state, only excluding Louisville Metro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Bowling Green Police Department and the Kentucky State Police, which each have independent academies.

DOCJT is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA is seeking public input regarding DOCJT’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. Click here to submit comments.

Beshear-Coleman Administration Commitment to Making Kentucky a National Leader in Public Safety

The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor's public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky now and into the future.

In December, the Governor announced the Forward, Together budget proposal which will continue boosting public and officer safety. The proposed budget includes a $2,500 raise for all KSP troopers and officers and enough funding to add 150 more troopers over the next two years. This raise follows the $18,800 raise Gov. Beshear secured for all troopers and officers during the previous budget session. Gov. Beshear’s budget also includes increasing the law enforcement training stipend yet again, improving the pension system for state and local law enforcement and grant funding for local law enforcement agencies to purchase body armor.

Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $10 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in purchasing the tools and resources that will not only allow them to protect Kentucky communities but will also ensure their safety as they stand on the front lines every day. In August, the administration awarded $2.1 million in grant funding to enhance public safety, curb the sale of illegal drugs and fight addiction.

In July 2023, Gov. Beshear broke ground in Richmond on a new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty May 16, 2022, while serving as chief deputy of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the Cash family, as well as state and local officials and staff from the Department of Criminal Justice Training, joined the Governor in taking a step forward to enhance the safety of Kentucky’s nearly 8,000 peace officers who risk their lives every day to protect Kentucky families.

In June 2022, Gov. Beshear announced the Military to Law Enforcement Program (M-2-LE). M-2-LE allows local law enforcement agencies in Kentucky to hire active service members within all U.S. military branches during their last 180 days of service. Upon being contracted by a law enforcement agency, the military member will continue to receive their pay and benefits from the U.S. Military while they undergo law enforcement training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training.