Gov. Beshear Announces First Graduating Class of Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Facility
On June 18, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) celebrated a significant milestone by graduating 21 law enforcement officers from the agency’s inaugural basic training class in Western Kentucky.
The facility and the 21 officers who graduated today are a testament to the administration’s pledge to make Kentucky a national leader in public safety while ensuring those who protect the commonwealth have the tools and resources available to stay safe.
“Congratulations to the officers who are graduating today. They have set high standards for law enforcement training and those who will come after them in Western Kentucky,” said Gov. Beshear. “Their dedication and determination to serve their fellow Kentuckians are commendable, and I ask the commonwealth to join me in praying for their safety as they work to enhance public safety for future generations.”
On Feb. 28, the Governor was joined by state and local officials and law enforcement personnel to welcome the first basic training academy class to Western Kentucky, which consisted of 23 officers serving with 17 different law enforcement agencies. Of the 23 officers who joined Class 558-W, 21 completed the state-mandated 20 weeks of basic training, which included more than 800 hours of instruction in major training areas: patrol procedures, physical training, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, criminal law, traffic and DUI, firearms, criminal investigations, cultural awareness, bias-related crimes and tactical responses to crisis situations.
Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson attended the ceremony on behalf of Gov. Beshear, where he thanked the officers for answering the call to service to protect the more than 4 million Kentuckians who call the commonwealth home and the millions who visit the state every year.
“As a former first responder myself, I know what it feels like to report to duty,” Secretary Jackson said. “You walk out the front door not knowing if you will return home that day, but you do it anyway because you believe in something bigger than yourself. You believe in the common good; you believe in a better tomorrow; and you believe that you can create a New Kentucky Home with less crime, addiction, fear and sadness for our future generations. You do this because you are a hero. Thank you for your service.”
“Class 558-W, you have laid the first bricks of what will be a successful career in law enforcement,” DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “You now carry the responsibility of serving with honor, integrity, fairness and transparency. Take this responsibility to heart, and the people you protect will see how much you care.”
“Being part of the first class in Madisonville means we made history,” said Class 558-W leader Christopher Vessels with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office. “Not only do we set the standard for future classes, but it also means a lot to be close to home and the communities we serve while attending training.”
For many years, officers from every county in the commonwealth have traveled to Richmond to receive basic training. For the first time since training became mandatory in 1998, Kentucky is simultaneously offering training in two locations. The Department of Criminal Justice Training is training officers in a building provided by the Madisonville Police Department while Team Kentucky constructs a $50 million multipurpose training facility in Madisonville.
The Richmond campus graduates an average of 10 basic training classes each year, resulting in approximately 300 new officers ready to serve communities across Kentucky annually. With the addition of the Western Kentucky facility, two more classes will graduate each year, increasing the total number of new officers to around 350. Once the multipurpose facility in Madisonville is complete, the agency will be able to graduate approximately 150 to 200 additional officers per year, enhancing public and officer safety.
Since December 2019, the Beshear-Coleman administration has graduated 2,042 officers from the basic training academy. Today’s 21 graduating law enforcement officers will begin working with the 8,000 other officers across the state to create a commonwealth that is safer for all Kentuckians.
Class 558-W graduates and their agencies are:
Skylerr Armstrong
Hopkins Co. Sheriff’s Office
Steven Bermudez
Warren Co. Sheriff’s Office
Joel Crawford
Breckinridge Co. Sheriff’s Office
Matthew Depeel
Kenton Co. P.D.
Jonathan Hughes
Hodgenville P.D.
Mark Kurtz
Hopkins Co. Sheriff’s Office
Hayden LeGrand
Elkton P.D.
Austin Lemieux-Gravil
Edmonson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Luscius Lloyd
Henderson P.D.
Shawn Longest
Daviess Co. Sheriff’s Office
William Quinn
Henderson P.D.
Austin Rathman
Carlisle Co. Sheriff’s Office
Brionna Ray
Hardin Co. Sheriff’s Office
Aaron Revelett
Princeton P.D.
Leaf Smith
Clinton P.D.
Josiah T. Trout
Mayfield P.D.
Christopher Vessels
Daviess Co. Sheriff’s Office
Blake Wallace
Beaver Dam P.D.
Jamey Warren
Ohio Co. Sheriff’s Office
Ethan Wells
Greenville P.D.
Michael West
Warren 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.
Ensuring Kentucky becomes a national leader in public safety requires equal opportunities for all Kentuckians so they can begin to turn their dreams into reality starting at an early age. On June 4, the Beshear-Coleman administration launched the “Pre-K for All” initiative, which aims to advance the commonwealth’s public early childhood education system and job growth. While this is projected to grow Kentucky's workforce and enhance the state’s economy, studies also show that kindergarten readiness prevents crime and incarceration later in life. A safer New Kentucky Home will be achieved when we reduce recidivism and end generational cycles of crime and addiction by ensuring young Kentuckians have access to quality education.
Recently, Gov. 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 of 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 facility is a 42,794-square-foot complex 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 instead 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.
