Versailles Police Department Meets the Challenge
PICTURED ABOVE
Versailles Police Chief Michael Murray, center, along with from left, Officer Eric Radford, Assistant Chief Rob Young and Officer Stephen Johnson are a few of the 43 sworn officers who provide police service to all of Woodford County. (Photo by Michael Moore)
Well known as the home of Woodford Reserve, one of Kentucky’s oldest bourbon whiskey distilleries, Woodford County is also home to a unique law enforcement agency.
The Versailles Police Department oversees law enforcement for the entire county, including the city of Midway, thanks to an interlocal agreement between the city of Versailles and the fiscal court, Chief Michael Murray said.
“Before 2004, we had the Woodford County Police Department,” the chief explained. “The county judge at that time was looking at efficiency. It is certainly more efficient having one agency. Before, the county police took care of the county, and we took care of the city.”
Under the terms of the interlocal agreement, the Woodford County Fiscal Court pays 38% of VPD’s operating budget and 50% of capital expenditures. Midway pays 4.25% of VPD’s operating budget. The city of Versailles takes care of the rest.
Road Warriors
Woodford County borders six counties, including Fayette and Franklin. VPD officers routinely patrols I-65, the Bluegrass Parkway, U.S. 60, U.S. 62, and U.S. 421, and see a significant amount of action on those roadways.
“We get a lot of riff-raff that comes through here (because of the major roadways),” Murray said. “Our county’s population is about 27,000, and we’re responsible for 192 square miles.”
Versailles Police Chief Michael Murray (Photo by Michael Moore)
Providing service to the entire county has many challenges for a department of 43 sworn officers. To overcome those challenges, VPD has embraced technology to help combat crime.
One example of the technology it employs is License Reader Cameras.
“This past budget year, I asked for (and got approved for) 20,” Murray said. “Those cameras aren’t cheap. They’re $2,500 per camera, and that cost is annual. So, we spent $65K for the cameras, and we have three of the 20 in place right now because we’re dealing with permit approval with the state because they’re on the shoulder of the roads.”
VPD uses the cameras on major roadways, Murray said.
“We put them in the corridors as you come into the county,” he said. We also strategically locate them throughout the county. With the three we have up and running now, we’ve already recovered several stolen vehicles and locked up two people with warrants out.”
The reason Murray and VPD are using the cameras is simple.
“Seven out of 10 crimes in America have a vehicle or multiple vehicles attached to it,” Murray pointed out.
Murray said the cameras could also connect with agencies who deploy similar devices.
“Lexington has license reader cameras, and one thing we’re able to do is to share the camera system,” he said. “Of course, we must get approval, and Chief Lawrence Weathers has given the approval to share his cameras with us, and we share ours with them. So, if they’re looking for John Doe, they can get on the system and see if they’ve been in Woodford County.”
The cameras can assist police in a myriad of cases, including:
Locating stolen vehicles,
Missing person cases,
Serving warrants,
Issuing protection orders,
Amber Alerts and Golden Alerts.
“It can give you a lot of information,” Murray said. “The system is designed to send text alerts (to law enforcement). When we get those alerts, it gets our attention.”
Staffing
The chain of command for VPD is simple, Murray said.
“We have a chief, assistant chief, eight patrol sergeants, one detective sergeant, and everyone else is patrol,” he said. “My assistant chief takes care of Midway City Council meetings, and I take care of Versailles and the fiscal court.”
VPD’s leadership brings a wealth of experience to the agency.
“I’m a retiree who never really took a break from service,” he said. “Some of our officers are former Lexington officers. I started my career in 1989 with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. I came here in 1995, retired in 2011 and came back.
“My assistant chief (Rob Young) is a retired ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) agent,” he said. “He oversaw Lexington’s field office. Also, one of my officers is part of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) task force. He recently retired from Lexington Police. He gives us a lot of intelligence and communicates with Lexington’s gang unit, so we have an advantage there.”
VPD – including dispatchers – work 12-hour shifts. This allows staff to work 78 fewer days a year and has eight hours of built-in overtime. Additionally, officers and dispatchers enjoy three-day weekends (Friday – Sunday) every other weekend.
Murray feels that his staff are the department’s most valuable assets. To that end, VPD has a policy that allows the officers and dispatchers an hour per shift to work out in the on-site gym with their supervisor’s permission.
The fitness policy also offers incentives, Murray said.
“Dispatchers set their own goal,” Murray said. “If they achieve the goal, they can get up to one 12-hour day off. We have it set up for the officers to meet the POPS (Peace Officer Professional Standards) standards. They can get up to three days off if they hit the gold standard. If they meet the silver standard, they get two days off, and if they participate and improve, they’ll get one day off. Our fitness coordinator and assistant coordinator monitor the program.”
(Photo by Michael Moore)
Community-Oriented Policing
At the heart of VPD are its officers, and for them, serving the Woodford County community goes far beyond patrolling roadways.
“We have neighborhood meetings throughout the county and cities, Murray said. “We try to hear people’s concerns, and it gives them an opportunity to put faces with the names.”
VPD hosts two, eight-week Citizens’ Police Academies each year, which educates the public on how law enforcement works.
“Our officers give all the presentations,” Murray said. It’s one night a week for an hour and a half. The feedback is positive. We’ve always had great support from our community. People always wave to us. They seem to love their police officers.”
Additionally, VPD has a Cops for Kids program, which allows the agency to provide Christmas gifts to approximately 300 underprivileged children in Woodford County every year.
The chief is involved with the county’s Unity Task Force.
“The mayor and I serve on the task force,” Murray said. “Every Thursday morning, we walk the high school hallways to interact with students.”
VPD’s Angel Program provides an olive branch to those wanting to get into a drug recovery program.
“Substance abuse is something we deal with here, just like in every community,” Murray explained. “On every overdose call that comes in, we are also dispatched. Narcan is part of our standard equipment. We have saved more than 100 people with Narcan since 2018. We started carrying Narcan in the fall 2018.
The Angel Program allows people struggling with addiction to go to the police department, bring their drugs and drug paraphernalia, and surrender them to officers without fear of arrest, Murray added.
VPD partners them with a mentor, and the agency will match them up with a treatment facility that will meet their needs.
“We’ll also provide transportation to that facility,” Murray said. “We’ve helped several people.”
Keeping Woodford Safe
Ultimately, the role of VPD is to keep its citizens safe. Overall, its violent crime rate is low.
“It’s not uncommon to go several years without violent crimes such as murder,” Murray said. “We haven’t had a murder here in more than two years. Our personnel do a great job, especially on the east side of the county, U.S. Hwy 60, going toward Lexington. That whole southwest end of Lexington, the Cardinal Valley area, has a lot of gang activity. But we keep a lot of it pushed back. I think the word that we have zero tolerance on that stuff has gotten out.”
The department also engages with the community on social media to help curb potential crime.
“We’ve made our Facebook page more active,” Murray said. “We’re constantly reminding the public that if you see something, say something. If you know something, then say something. We get a lot of younger folks who want to go through the neighborhoods checking for unlocked car doors.
“The community is great and supports us,” he concluded.
