Hiring Heroes
PICTURED ABOVE
Frankfort Police Officer Anthony Catania graduated from Law Enforcement Basic Training in April. He was the first recruit to benefit from the M-2-LE program. (Photo by Jim Robertson)
A new recruiting tool is available to law enforcement agencies, and it comes with quite a few perks.
The new Military to Law Enforcement (M-2-LE) initiative between the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council (KLEC) and the Department of Defense (DOD) will make it easier for police agencies in the commonwealth to recruit and hire veterans separating from the military.
As a bonus, it comes with significant cost savings to the agency because during the duration of a recruit’s training, his or her salary and other benefits, such as medical care, are paid for by the military, said Megan Sevier, program coordinator with KLEC.
“The active-duty service member can attend a job training internship during their last 180 days of active-duty service,” Sevier said. “The military pays for their compensation, including benefits. That’s one of the benefits to the agency, but it’s twofold. The recruit goes through law enforcement basic training while on active duty, and when they separate from the military, they will be employed by the law enforcement agency. Once the agency starts paying their salary and benefits, they already have a certified officer who has completed basic training and can begin work.”
Program Background
The program utilizes a DOD program called SkillBridge to establish cooperative agreements between Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies, DOCJT, and all branches of the military.
SkillBridge works to transition veterans into licensed and skilled civilian occupations, including law enforcement.
Dallas Kratzer II, Ph.D., with the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, called the program a win-win for state law enforcement agencies and veterans.
“We came out with this plan that meets the expectations and needs of the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, and it creates an opportunity for service members,” he said. “Here in Kentucky, you must go through a Kentucky law enforcement training academy or another state’s academy with which we have reciprocity agreements. When KLEC director John Moberly got involved, the program picked up momentum. It’s a great way to utilize the DOD SkillBridge program to create opportunities for military members who want to be police officers in Kentucky.”
The goal of M-2-LE is twofold. The first goal is to create an effective and efficient means to recruit and train active-duty military personnel interested in starting a law enforcement career in Kentucky.
The second goal is to incentivize and create financial and expedited hiring benefits for our law enforcement and support agencies that choose to hire veterans. Because all M-2-LE participants desiring to be a Kentucky law enforcement officer will be required to attend the entire duration of a basic Kentucky law enforcement academy, hiring agencies are not just limited to military police (MPs) or any single branch of the military, but all active-duty military who have demonstrated integrity, hard work, and discipline throughout their military career.
Moberly said KLEC began researching ways for law enforcement to tap into the veteran pool, and the path soon became apparent.
“The program was geared toward numerous skill sets, including commercial vehicle licensing, welding, construction or logistic skills,” Moberly said. “Communication began with the SkillBridge administrators, the Department of Criminal Justice Training, the Kentucky Department of Veteran Affairs, and the Kentucky Commission of Military Affairs. After nearly nine months and the exceptional work of our Kentucky veteran support agencies, we received preliminary approval to utilize the Department of Criminal Justice Training Basic Academy as a SkillBridge training entity for active-duty personnel. Formal approval came a few months later, and the M-2-LE program was recognized as the first statewide program for SkillBridge. It allows any Kentucky law enforcement entity to recruit and train through the Department of Defense program directly.”
First Recruit
In April 2022, Frankfort Police officer Anthony Catania (pictured below) – a seven-year U.S. Army veteran – graduated from DOCJT Basic Training Class 525. He was the first recruit to benefit from M-2-LE.
“(The process) was smooth for me,” Catania said. “I started to apply to Frankfort, and during the process, the chief (former Frankfort Chief Charles Adams) called me after he found out about the program and asked if I was interested in doing it.”
Catania, who served as a dog handler in the Army, said the program took a lot of anxiety off his shoulders when he first decided to separate from the military.
“It took a lot of stress off myself and my wife because I did not have to worry about whether I had a job lined up once I got out of the Army,” he explained. “I could go straight into what I wanted to do and not have to worry about a transition period.”
Additionally, Frankfort Police Chief Dustin Bowman said the process was equally as simple on the agency’s end.
“This program has benefitted the Frankfort Police Department by allowing us to identify quality applicants and speed up getting them into the academy,” Bowman said. “This allows them to complete the academy and become available to the department much quicker. I'm happy with the program and look forward to utilizing it again. I'd highly recommend any agency in need of qualified applicants to look into utilizing the Military to Law Enforcement program.”
How it Works
Sevier said KLEC could assist interested agencies in getting approved as an authorized SkillBridge organization. Once approved, agencies can advertise vacancies on the SkillBridge website for all active-duty military to access.
If an agency hires an active duty applicant, they will receive preferential access to a DOCJT basic training academy class.
“Typically, somebody applies to an agency and they’re hired on, and then they go to the academy, and that can take a few months,” Sevier said. “DOCJT has committed two spots for every academy class for M-2-LE candidates. With that, the M-2-LE candidate could go to the academy a little earlier than they would if they were applying to the agency on their own after they get out of the military.”
Under the terms of the SKillBridge program, the applicant is required to agree to a three-year commitment with the agency following graduation from the academy, as allowed by KRS 70.290.
Benefits of Hiring Veterans
Aside from the salary and benefits paid for by the military, Kratzer said on average, veterans have a work ethic that matches well with how law enforcement operates.
“One of the greatest benefits they’ll bring to a law enforcement agency is the people skills that they’ve learned,” he said. “They have learned how to manage small teams, and worked together in change dynamics, so they have all of the soft skills organizations are looking for.”
In addition to soft skills, veterans understand the principles of core values.
“They have been immersed in the idea of core values, and each branch of the military has its own set of core values,” Kratzer said. “Those core values translate to police work very well. For example, in the Air Force, the core values are Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.
“When you have people who have been trained in what it means to have integrity, to pursue excellence in their job and most of all serving others, those are skills valued by employers today, particularly in the law enforcement field,” he summarized.
