Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 27 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 164
On April 25, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 27 dispatchers from across Kentucky graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.
“These past four weeks you have shown great commitment to your communities and the commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “You serve as a lifeline between citizens and law enforcement, providing calm to those who are in the middle of the toughest moments of their lives. Thank you for answering the call to serve and thank you for being part of 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 164 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.
“Choosing to become a member of this time-honored profession is admirable,” said DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse. “It carries with it a commitment of honor and professionalism. I thank you for your commitment and wish you the best of luck in your careers.” DOCJT is the first in the nation to be accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ public safety training program designation.
Class 164 graduates and their agencies are:
James A. Adkins II
Barren-Metcalfe ECC
Arcadia K. Blair
Breckinridge Co. Sheriff’s Office
Naomi M. Callaghan
Warren Co. Sheriff’s Office
Haylie Carman
Rockcastle Co. 911
Anthony P. Coraggio Jr.
City of Paducah 911
Henry J. Dwenger, III
Northern KY University Police Dept.
Elian Gonzalez
Fleming Co. 911 Dispatch
Sarah E. Growney
Boone County PSCC
Houston R. Hanvy
Madisonville Police Dept.
Christian Hargis
London/Laurel Co. Comm.
Samantha M. Harvey
Lexington Enhanced 911
Kimberly A. Henson
Marshall Co. E-911
Tabetha Hicks
Fleming Co. 911 Dispatch
Tera R. Hinkle-Hicks
Carrollton Police Dept.
Joshua Lane
Todd Co. Dispatch
Zarabeth Elise Lile
Lexington Enhanced 911
Samantha A. Mason
Murray Police Dept.
Andrea D. Mitchell
Madisonville Police Dept.
Montana Rose Murrell
Winchester Police Dept.
Dajuana Perdue
Boyd Co. 911
Roycelynne B. Reble
Russell Co. 911 Dispatch
Antonia Rae Reese
Carrollton Police Dept.
Melissa L. Reynolds
Madisonville Police Dept.
Kaitlin Stacker
Barren-Metcalfe ECC
Emily A. Ward
Hardin Co. 911
Kaylee Wesley
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Rebecca E. Wright
West Liberty Police Dept.
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.
On Feb. 28, the Beshear-Coleman administration welcomed the first basic training academy class to Western Kentucky. 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. 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 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 Department.
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.
