Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 22 Officers Graduate From Kentucky Criminalistic Academy – Crime Scene Technician Course
On October 11, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 22 crime scene investigators (CSIs) from across the commonwealth have graduated from the 2024 Kentucky Criminalistics Academy (KCA) Crime Scene Technician Course Class 9.
“Each of you have gone above and beyond – furthering your law enforcement training to enhance your skills and better protect our great commonwealth,” Gov. Beshear said. “The knowledge you have gained through this program will greatly benefit your teams and the families and communities you serve. Thank you for taking on this challenge, and congratulations on this accomplishment.”
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.
“The successful completion of the crime-scene investigation academy reflects your dedication to the law enforcement profession,” DOCJT Deputy Commissioner Mike Bosse said. “Your communities and the state are safer because of your efforts. I wish you nothing but continued success 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 Class No. 9 graduates and their agencies are:
Michael Allgeier
Erlanger Police Department
Jonathan Bentley
Frankfort Police Department
Tyler Brown
Elizabethtown Police Department
Frank Fallis
Shelbyville Police Department
Ashton Forlines
Louisville Metro Police Department
Steve Holmstrom
Erlander Police Department
Douglas E. Holt
Campbell County Police Department
Chase Kirk
Boyd County Sheriff’s Office
Andrew Lucas
Villa Hills Police Department
Paul Megilligan
Danville Police Department
Nathan Moore
Kentucky State Police Post 1
Kyle Mounce
Lexington Police Department
Brett K. Mullins
Lakeside Park/Crestview Hills Police Department
Tyler Gentry
Bowling Green Police Department
Alex Ramirez
Lexington Police Department
Shane Southwood
Department of Criminal Justice Training
Joseph Tomblin
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Travis N. Frank
Franklin Police Department
Jason Varney
Berea Police Department
Michael Weatherford
Murray Police Department
Kyle Yearsley
Paris Police Department
Shawn Young
Trigg County Sheriff’s Office
Michael Allgeier
Erlanger Police Department
Jonathan Bentley
Frankfort Police Department
Tyler Brown
Elizabethtown Police Department
Frank Fallis
Shelbyville Police Department
Ashton Forlines
Louisville Metro Police Department
Steve Holmstrom
Erlander Police Department
Douglas E. Holt
Campbell County Police Department
Chase Kirk
Boyd County Sheriff’s Office
Andrew Lucas
Villa Hills Police Department
Paul Megilligan
Danville Police Department
Nathan Moore
Kentucky State Police Post 1
Kyle Mounce
Lexington Police Department
Brett K. Mullins
Lakeside Park/Crestview Hills Police Department
Tyler Gentry
Bowling Green Police Department
Alex Ramirez
Lexington Police Department
Shane Southwood
Department of Criminal Justice Training
Joseph Tomblin
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Travis N. Frank
Franklin Police Department
Jason Varney
Berea Police Department
Michael Weatherford
Murray Police Department
Kyle Yearsley
Paris Police Department
Shawn Young
Trigg County Sheriff’s Office
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 accreditation through the Council on Occupational Education in 2024.
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.
