Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 23 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 160
On October 4, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 23 dispatchers from across the state graduated from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.
“You all will serve as a lifeline to Kentuckians facing some of their darkest and scariest times, as well as being the ears for Kentucky’s first responders,” Gov. Beshear said. “This is truly heroic work. On behalf of the commonwealth, thank you for answering the call of service.”
Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency. Graduates of the academy have successfully completed a highly structured and comprehensive curriculum to satisfy mandated training requirements. Over four weeks, the graduates of Class 160 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correcting phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, using emergency medical dispatch protocols and using the state and national criminal databases.
“I am proud of your accomplishments while at the academy,” DOCJT Deputy Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “Your four weeks of training have laid a solid foundation for a rewarding career for years to come. I wish you the best of luck in your careers.”
DOCJT is a state agency located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University. 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.
Class 160 graduates and their agencies are:
Katlyn R. Blade
Kentucky State University P.D.
Amanda Brock
Nelson Co. E-911
Alexis Maria Brown
Bullitt Co. Sheriff’s Office
Kaitlyn L. Burnett
Barren Metcalfe ECC
Elana M. Campbell
Pennyrile Emergency 911
Erinne Grace Cornett
Blue Grass Airport Dept. of Public Safety
Keaton P. Davis
McLean Co. 911
Olivia R. Flinn
Madison Co. E-911
Kennedy Layne Frost
Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Dustin L. Gonyer
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Alex Griffee
Jessamine Co. 911
Autum S. Hines
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Brandon R. Hughes
Warren Co. Sheriff’s Office
Jeremy V. Johnson
Butler Co. E-911
Jason C. Jones
Elliott Co. 911
Natalee M. Jones
London/Laurel Co. Communications Center
J.C. McCord
Jessamine Co. 911
Kaelynn Rae Lewis Robinson
Pikeville City P.D.
Daniel D. Smith
Tompkinsville P.D.
Tyler H. Spears
Burkesville P.D.
Gracie L. Stivers
Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Trevor M. Thompson
Pikeville City P.D.
Trevor D. Warner
Bath Co. 911
DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police, airport police throughout the state, only excluding Louisville Metro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Bowling Green Police Department and the Kentucky State Police, which each have independent academies.
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 September, Gov. Andy Beshear announced the historic expansion of law enforcement basic training into Western Kentucky. The Department of Criminal Justice Training is launching a two-phase project to provide immediate, improved access to law enforcement training. Phase one will begin in February 2025 with a class of 24 recruits who will attend Basic Training in a Madisonville non-residential academy. The first phase is made possible because of robust partnerships with the city of Madisonville, which is providing facilities for the launch. Phase two includes the construction of administrative classroom and multipurpose training buildings funded by the $50 million legislative allotment to construct a Western Kentucky DOCJT campus.
Since taking office, Gov. Andy 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. As the administration remains committed to removing illicit drugs and further decreasing drug overdose deaths, in September, Gov. Beshear awarded more than $1.7 million in grant funding to Kentucky’s law enforcement, drug task forces and nonprofit organizations to purchase critical resources, provide drug prevention programming to community residents, offer counseling to crime victims, ensure officers receive specialized training and work with individuals leaving incarceration for successful reentry skills.
Last year, 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 an annual training stipend for the first time in the history of the commonwealth.
In July 2023, 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 Department. Members of the Cash family, as well as state and local officials and staff from the DOCJT, 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 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.
