Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 24 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 168
On October 3, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 24 dispatchers from across Kentucky graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.
“In your new career, you will be a calm voice in times of need as you support law enforcement and Kentuckians when they need it most,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you for pursuing this meaningful career and know that the entire commonwealth is praying for you. We are proud to have you on Team Kentucky.”
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. Over four weeks, the graduates of Class 168 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and nonemergency calls for service, using emergency medical dispatch protocols, and using the state and national criminal databases.
“Completing the public safety dispatch academy is more than finishing a course — it’s stepping into a vital role as the lifeline between the public and first responders,” DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “This achievement marks the start of a career built on calm under pressure, quick thinking, and unwavering dedication to community safety.”
Class 168 graduates and their agencies are:
Miranda M. Alberts
Fayette Co. Sheriff’s Office
Leslie Allen
Nelson Co. E-911
Chloe Elise Bradley
Adair Co. E-911
Shiann Cochran
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Harley Engle
Perry Co. E-911
Denver Feltner
Perry Co. E-911
Ricky W. Fletcher
Burkesville P.D.
Serenna E. Foard
Hardin Co. 911
Morgan Elizabeth Forshey
Boone Co. Public Safety Center
Elisha Ann Gilbert
Bullitt Co. Sheriff’s Office
Lauren A. Godbey
Nelson Co. E-911
Stephanie S. Hamilton
Union Co. 911
Adrianna A. Haynes
Boone Co. Public Safety Center
C. Alan Hicks
Georgetown 911 Center
Megan Hunter
Owensboro-Daviess Co. Central Dispatch
Sebastian L.D. Kaufman
Elliott Co. 911
Taylor M. Kidd
McCreary Co. 911 Center
Katey Layton
Paris/Bourbon Co. 911
Aidan Mitchell
Hazard City P.D.
Brianna S. Norton
Boone Co. Public Safety Center
Brady Alexander Powers
Corbin P.D.
Madeline I.A. Sills
Hardin Co. 911
Morgan A. Stokes
Blue Grass Airport
Melisa M. Woosley
McLean Co. Sheriff’s Office
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.
In June, 21 officers graduated from the first basic training class from the Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Facility in Madisonville. The Beshear-Coleman administration welcomed the class in February. For the first time since basic training became mandatory in 1998, Kentucky is simultaneously offering training in two locations. The Department of Criminal Justice Training will train officers in a building provided by the Madisonville Police Department while Team Kentucky constructs a $50 million multipurpose training facility in Madisonville.
Recently, Gov. Andy Beshear was joined by members of the Cash family, the Kentucky law enforcement community and the Department of Criminal Justice Training to officially open the doors to the 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. The Beshear administration broke ground on the Jody Cash Multipurpose Training Facility in July 2023. The facility is a 42,794-square-foot facility with a 50-yard, 30-lane firing range designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that will support training all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded nearly $12 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies with enhancing public and officer safety, curbing the sale of illegal drugs and fighting addiction.
At the beginning of his second term, the Governor proposed a $500 increase to the law enforcement annual training stipend, but the General Assembly chose to provide a combined $262 increase over the next two years. The budget signed by the Governor raises the training stipend to an all-time high of $4,562 by fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the Governor is providing part-time law enforcement officers with an annual training stipend for the first time in the history of the commonwealth.
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 their branch of the armed forces while they undergo law enforcement training at DOCJT.
