Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 24 Officers Graduate from the Academy of Police Supervision
On May 16, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 24 law enforcement officers from agencies across the commonwealth graduated the 102nd class of the Academy of Police Supervision.
“Leadership in any occupation is difficult, but the responsibilities of leadership in law enforcement is even more challenging,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you for taking on this challenge. I know the work you have put in will make you, your agencies and your communities safer than ever before.”
The Academy of Police Supervision, also called the sergeant’s academy, is a three-week, 122-hour training program targeted for newly promoted sergeants or officers who are on their agency’s promotion list to become sergeants. The academy was launched in 2003 as a leadership course aimed at developing and shaping future and current leaders in law enforcement agencies across the commonwealth.
The training program provides a deep dive into how to positively influence groups of people, as well as how to apply situational leadership, demonstrate an understanding of constitutional and administrative law, emotional and social intelligence, ethical decision-making, problem-solving, emotional survival and public speaking.
“As a former police chief, I understand the commitment these leaders have to bettering themselves, their peers and communities,” DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “I am excited to see how you take the knowledge you’ve gained back to your departments and use it to better your community.”
APS Class 102 graduates and their agencies are:
Kevin Bennett
Hodgenville Police Department
Jacob Buchanan
Greensburg Police Department
Wes Casey
Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office
Garret Clark
Graves County Sheriff’s Office
Justin Creech
Somerset Police Department
Austin Davis
Berea Police Department
John Dorman
Ludlow Police Department
Thaddeus Ecklar
Florence Police Department
Cory Finley
Ashland Police Department
Jacob Hardin
Versailles Police Department
Chris Hayes
Daviess County Sheriff’s Office
Dendreck L. Holmes
Hopkinsville Police Department
Ronald L. Johnson
Kenton County Sheriff’s Office
Logan Johnson-Mullins
Fleming County Sheriff’s Office
Thomas C. Lear
Radcliff Police Department
Ross Ledonne
Kenton County Sheriff’s Office
Paul Maskey
Jeffersontown Police Department
Richard E. Palmer
Cadiz Police Department
Jacob Partin
Richmond Police Department
Jacob C. Phelps
Ohio County Sheriff’s Office
Kenneth L. Prater
Kentucky Department of Parks – Ranger Division
Joshua S. Ritchie
Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
Daniel E. Slone
Eastern Kentucky University Police Department
Tristan Wampler
Cadiz Police Department
DOCJT is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. The agency is the first in the nation to be accredited under the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ public safety training program designation.
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.
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.
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 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.
