Sheriffs’ Certification Numbers Rising toward KSA Goal
PICTURED ABOVE:
From left: Campbell County Sheriff Chief Deputy Ken Fetcher, Hardin County Sheriff John Ward, Kentucky Sheriff’s Association Executive Director Jerry Wagner, Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton, Campbell County Sheriff Mike Jansen and Hardin County Sheriff Chief Deputy David Lee each support KSA’s mission toward a certified, professional standard for Kentucky sheriffs. (Photo by Jim Robertson)
A long-sought goal of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association (KSA) is nearing fruition.
As of November 2019, 107 of Kentucky’s 120 sheriffs are Peace Officer Professional Standards (POPS)-certified officials. It is significant, according to KSA Executive Director Jerry Wagner, because the elected position does not require certification. However, the profession has begun to demand it.
“Our goal is to have all 120 sheriffs POPS certified in the state of Kentucky,” Wagner said.
In 2002, when the Career Development Program (CDP) began to take shape under the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, only a couple dozen sheriffs were POPS certified, said DeAnna Boling, Office of Kentucky Law Enforcement Council Support program coordinator. As a result, a career track for sheriffs was not created.
CDP is a professional certificate program that encourages law enforcement officers and public safety dispatchers to plan and organize their annual training to correlate with an individual’s career goal. The program provides structure to the training process and offers career tracks for law enforcement officers and dispatchers. It is only available to those who are certified.
This spring, a new set of CDP career tracks designed to serve Kentucky’s sheriffs will be released. They include:
Supervisor Sheriff
Manager Sheriff
Executive and Chief Executive Sheriff
Intermediate Deputy Sheriff
Additionally, career tracks for tactical law enforcement and school resource officers are being created and will now be available to sheriffs, deputies and other law enforcement Boling said.
DeAnna Boling, Office of Kentucky Law Enforcement Council Support program coordinator, recognized the need for new Career Development Program career tracks for sheriffs and has worked to put them in place for spring 2020. (Photo by Jim Robertson)
The Road to 120
When Wagner took office as KSA executive director 13 years ago, the organizational landscape looked quite different than it does today. In 2006, the POPS Act was just eight years into service, meaning that all sheriff’s deputies were then required to become POPS certified alongside their municipal and state law enforcement brothers and sisters.
But the transition toward a more professionalized, certified group of law enforcement leaders began in the 1980s, Wagner said.
“In my opinion, when the succession amendment passed – that takes us back to about 1984 or 1985 – that allowed sheriffs to be able to succeed themselves and not have a one-term limit,” he said.
Before the succession amendment, elected sheriffs spent at least some part of their four years in office determining what their profession would be after their term ended, Wagner added. Those individual future concerns sometimes prevented sheriffs from focusing on the office’s future.
“It wasn’t a good path,” Wagner said. “When sheriffs started succeeding themselves, it became pretty well known that they were going to have to become better trained and prepared to do the job if they wanted to do it long term.”
Times have changed and people want to have a law enforcement leader in their community who is a trained professional.
— John Ward, Hardin County Sheriff
Today, Kentucky employs 8,365 active, certified officers. In the 21 years since the POPS Act went into effect, 16,842 officers have been certified by DOCJT. That number doesn’t include the certified officers who have graduated from Kentucky’s other three law enforcement training academies – Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department and Louisville Metro Police Department – during those years.
“Over time, when sheriffs started retiring and deputies began running (for office) to take their place, they were all certified individuals. That being said, there are also an awfully lot of Kentucky State Police retired troopers serving today as sheriffs. Several are past post commanders.”
Wagner also credits KSA’s annual conference with providing opportunities for quality training and information sharing that has led to a more professionalized workforce. In 2019, he estimated 150 sheriffs and chief deputies attended the in-service training, which included speakers like author Lt. Col. David Grossman and Colorado organizational consultant Dr. Kimberly Miller.
“It professionalizes us in how we conduct and run business,” Wagner said of sheriffs’ training and certification. “Morale is so much better.”
A Seat at the Table
The voices of influential leaders working together toward the common goal of highly trained, professional and certified peace officers have allowed Kentucky sheriffs to make a difference in representing the interests of county law enforcement.
Several leaders have served the commonwealth at the national level in roles at the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA). Two Kentucky sheriffs – former Warren County Sheriff Jerry “Peanuts” Gaines and Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey – both have led terms as NSA president. Others, including Wagner, have previously served, or are currently serving, as NSA executive committee board members.
“I spent almost 10 years as a board member on the NSA executive committee,” Wagner said. “That’s where it opened my eyes even more how we need to encourage professional training in Kentucky.”
That experience has led to recognition and opportunity.
When we have certification, it makes a phenomenal difference, not just working with the community, but also with the county attorney or attorney general. It takes that trust to a different level.
— Mike Jansen, Campbell County Sheriff
“We have worked so hard to build relationships with legislators, auditors – everyone,” Wagner said. “We have built this thing so that sheriffs have a seat at the table in every conversation. We have worked so hard. Now, every single bill that has anything to do with the office of sheriff, the Legislative Research Commission contacts me to talk about how that particular piece of legislation affects the office of sheriff.”
Ultimately, Wagner hopes the closer Kentucky comes to having 120 certified sheriffs, a constitutional amendment will be considered requiring certification as a condition of the job.
“I still respect the people who believe the constitution says the sheriff is an elected position, and that it’s the choice of the people,” Wagner said. “That’s OK.”
In the case of several un-certified Kentucky sheriffs today, the completion of a 20-week basic training academy isn’t feasible or possible. Some, like former Muhlenburg County Sheriff Curtis McGhee, put themselves through the academy after the election to the office. However, Wagner said even among those today who cannot reasonably complete the academy, the vast majority still participate in training – a practice that is earnestly encouraged by KSA.
“I just can’t get on board with people who put the public and themselves at risk and make us all look bad,” Wagner added.
New CDP Career Tracks
If certified sheriffs have never been in the Career Development Program before, Boling said applying to earn certificates in the new career tracks will be easy. Forms will soon be available on the KLEC website (klecs.ky.gov) for new applicants to complete.
Additionally, sheriff deputies or leaders who have completed courses in the past and meet the requirements to earn the new CDP certificates will have the opportunity to apply for them retroactively, Boling added.
These new tracks will mirror opportunities previously available to chiefs and high-ranking police positions. For example, a sergeant, captain or chief deputy within a sheriff’s office can start on a management track if they have the years of service and training, Boling said.
“They have never been able to do that before,” she said. “The mindset has been that they could never apply because they didn’t have their career path.”
My predecessor was a really good man, but he was not certified. I have been sheriff nine years now, and I have
seen a difference in my recruiting because of my background in law enforcement.
— Tony Hampton, Scott County Sheriff
The CDP certificates have been a retention boost for several law enforcement agencies that use them as incentives and/or benefits. For example, Bowling Green Police Department, Fayette County Public Schools and Paris Police Department issue financial rewards for completion of CDP certificates.
“It benefits those agencies who give that award money, because what they are finding is that it is a way of retaining people and not losing them to other agencies,” Boling said. “It’s a benefit they can achieve while working on the career track they enjoy.”
Completion of CDP certificates also adds a respected resume notch for officers seeking to rise through the leadership ranks. Boling expects the new CDP tracks to launch in March 2020.
