Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 23 Officers Graduate from the Academy of Police Supervision
On August 15, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 23 law enforcement officers from agencies across the commonwealth graduated from the Academy of Police Supervision Class 103.
“Your commitment to public service and leading by example is something each of you should take pride in as you continue to help make our commonwealth a safer place for families to call home,” Gov. Beshear said. “Congratulations to each of you on this accomplishment.”
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 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.
“Completion of this course is invaluable as you step into leadership roles with your agencies,” 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 103 graduates and their agencies are:
David Arnold
Lydon Police Department
Greg Bellar
Russellville Police Department
Laura Boehm
Shelbyville Police Department
Zach Carney
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
Jeff Childress
Glasgow Police Department
Zak Clark
Flatwoods Police Department
Christon Cornett
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
Gideon Craymer
Covington Police Department
Steven Debord
Danville Police Department
Chad Foley
Williamsburg Police Department
Josh Gibson
Garrard County Sheriff’s Office
Brian Hellinger
Saint Matthews Police Department
Tony Keene
Dayton Police Department
Josh Koors
Florence Police Department
Zach Lamblin
Hopkinsville Police Department
Cody Ocelli
Berea Police Department
Logan Payne
Princeton Police Department
Josh Salyers
Independence Police Department
Brody Schmeing
Falmouth Police Department
Kyle Smith
Grayson Police Department
Jacob Waid
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport Police Department
Jeremiah Watson
Prestonsburg Police Department
Paul Zavitz
Northern Kentucky University 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.
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.
