Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 19 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 166
On July 16, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 19 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.
"Dispatchers are the heroes who connect law enforcement with Kentuckians during some of the greatest moments of need, and their work is so important in a time of crisis,” Gov. Beshear said. “I want to thank these graduates for taking on this important job and supporting Kentuckians across the commonwealth. Congratulations and good luck.”
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 166 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.
“You are embarking on an honorable career today as certified public safety dispatchers,” DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “The profession you have chosen requires a high degree of commitment, honor and professionalism. I commend you and wish you the best of luck in your careers.
Class 166 graduates and their agencies are:
Echo Sky Haley Abercrombie
Cynthiana-Harrison Co. E911
Caitlyn H. Barrett
Paris/Bourbon Co. 911
Shaina M. Brieschke
Edmonton/Metcalfe 911 Dispatch
Julie A. Burchett
Owensboro-Daviess Co. Central Dispatch
Skylar M. Coomer
Russell Co. 911 Dispatch
Kira KayLee DeWitt
Danville Police Dept.
Calli B. Gooch
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Katilyn M. Hauser
Pike Co. Sheriff’s Office
Ashlyn A. Howell
KY State University Police Dept.
Steven D. Isaacs
Estill Co. 911 Dispatch
Ashlie Lloyd
Jefferson Co. Public Schools Police Dept.
Aidan T. Michael
Bowling Green Police Dept.
Caley D. Nichols
Hopkinsville Police Dept.
Katie G. Roysdon
Whitley Co. E-911
Harley Brooke Stokes
Todd Co. Dispatch
Jareny Antonio Vazquez
Lexington E-911
Amanda Y. Virgilio
Elliott Co. 911
River A. Ward
Ohio Co. Sheriff’s Office
John W. Withrow
Lexington E-911
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.
Last month, 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.
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, end generational cycles of crime and addiction by ensuring young Kentuckians have access to quality education.
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.
