Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 16 Officers Graduate from the Kentucky Criminalistic Academy – Crime Scene Technician Course
Gov. Andy Beshear and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that crime scene investigators (CSIs) from across the commonwealth have graduated from the summer 2023 Kentucky Criminalistics Academy (KCA) Crime Scene Technician Course.
“Kentucky is enhancing public safety every day because our law enforcement officers keep rising to the challenge of learning new skills and advancing their training,” Gov. Beshear said. “It is because of your commitment to protection and service that crime rates are reduced, and streets are safer.”
KCA is made up of two, five-week, 200-hour courses that DOCJT instructors developed for full-time and newly appointed CSIs and patrol officers who serve as CSIs for their agencies. In addition to sworn officers, the KCA is open to civilian CSIs who work for law enforcement agencies.
“Crime-scene investigation is a vital skill in all levels of law enforcement,” DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek said. “I commend you on completing the rigorous Kentucky Criminalistics Academy training and wish you the best in your careers.”
The entire KCA certification includes training in:
Digital photography
Advanced latent print development
Evidence collection and documentation
Latent fingerprint recognition and identification
Shooting scene reconstruction
Bloodstain pattern recognition and documentation
Post blast investigation
Forensic mapping
Computer crimes investigations
Forensic anthropological recovery course (University of Tennessee)
The KCA graduates and their agencies are:
Michael Allgeier
Erlanger Police Department
Tyler Brown
Elizabethtown Police Department
Jacob Eversole
Hazard Police Department
George Fallis
Shelbyville Police Department
Steven Fields
Glasgow Police Department
Michael Gentry
Bowling Green Police Department
Zachary Miller
Hazard Police Department
Nathan Moore
Kentucky State Police Post 1
Kyle Mounce
Lexington Police Department
Juan Ramirez
Lexington Police Department
Jewelie Robinson
Glasgow Police Department
Allen Shirley
Kentucky State Police Post 3
Joseph Tomblin
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife
Jason Varney
Berea Police Department
David Wilson
Somerset Police Department
Kyle Yearsley
Paris 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 also earned re-accreditation through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training in 2018.
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 now and into the future.
Recently, Gov. Beshear broke ground in Richmond on a 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. Members of the Cash family, as well as state and local officials and staff from the Department of Criminal Justice Training, joined the Governor in taking a step forward to enhance the safety of Kentucky’s nearly 8,000 peace officers who risk their lives every day to protect Kentucky families.
In March, Gov. Beshear signed three pieces of legislation that support law enforcement and increase public safety. Senate Bill 89 allows reemployment of retired individuals as police officers from the Police and Fire Retirement Fund; House Bill 380 expands the eligibility of potential peace officers to include individuals who are not yet 21 years of age but will reach this statutory requirement by the time certification is completed; and House Bill 540 increases the number of peace officers in the commonwealth’s private and parochial schools as well as public schools creating consistency of expectations across different types of schools. Due to this bipartisan effort, Kentucky is now able to increase recruitment of peace officers throughout the commonwealth and create a safe learning environment for all students to thrive, grow and reach their dreams.
To further increase the safety of Kentucky’s children the Governor signed legislation that strengthens child abuse, neglect and human trafficking reporting requirements, clarifies the legal definition of incest and ensures that registered sex offenders cannot come within 1,000 feet of a high school, middle school, elementary school, preschool, publicly owned or leased playground, or licensed day care facility.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded almost $8 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in purchasing the tools and resources that will not only allow them to protect Kentucky communities but will also ensure their safety as they stand on the front lines every day. In September 2022, the administration announced nearly $2 million in grant funding to enhance public safety, curb the sale of illegal drugs and fight addiction.
The bipartisan state budget signed by Gov. Beshear and enacted last year allows the commonwealth to take additional steps to make Kentucky a leader in public safety by enhancing law enforcement training, creating safer communities and improving the safety of both law enforcement officers and Kentuckians. In July 2022, the Governor announced additional steps to enhance public and officer safety, including funding for a new firearms training facility, a Western Kentucky training site feasibility study and an increased training stipend for law enforcement officers.
In October 2022, the administration took another step forward in creating safer communities by awarding more than $350,000 in grant funding to prevent youth crime across 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 the U.S. Military while they undergo law enforcement training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
During the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Beshear championed legislative action like Senate Bill 64 and House Bill 254, making it easier for law enforcement to conduct undercover stings and increase the chances of stopping a horrific crime against a child from being facilitated through the internet. These actions will also provide law enforcement officers with the authority to charge offenders with harsher crimes to keep them away from the public, preventing further interactions with Kentucky’s most vulnerable population.
