Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 25 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 155

Mar 8

Mar 8 Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 25 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 155

On March 8, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 25 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.

“Thank you for answering the call of service,” Gov. Beshear said. “Your mission is an important one, as you are now the lifeline to those facing some of their darkest and scariest times. Thank you for being a hero and the ears to Kentucky’s first responders.”

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. The graduates of Class 155 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements over four weeks. Major training areas included identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.

“I am proud of your accomplishments while at the academy,” DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek 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 Eastern Kentucky University 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.

Class 155 graduates and their agencies are:

Elizabeth M. Baudino
Bullitt Co. Sheriff’s Office

Jeffrey Boone
Bluegrass 911 Central Comm.

Taylor J. Bosley
Owensboro P.D.

Kimberly Bravo
Oak Grove P.D.

Erin F. Embry
Logan Co. ECC

Hannah M. Frymire
Hardin Co. 911

Lisa L. Gates
Lexington E-911

Kylee M. Godbey
Bluegrass 911 Central Comm.

Cassidy Jackson
Hopkinsville P.D.

Christopher N. Johnson
Clinton Co. Emergency Services

Shelby Ranae Johnson
Boyd Co. PSCC 911

Tracy Lee Lightfield
Cincinnati/N. KY Int’l Airport AOC

Bailey B. Lucas
Georgetown P.D.

Savanna D. Miller
University of Louisville P.D.

Darian J. Mitchell
Greensburg P.D.

Austin Kunath Music
Pikeville P.D.

Lisa J. Norton
Bracken Co. 911

Shawn Marie Regis
Georgetown P.D.

Austin T. Rowland
Boone Co. PSCC

Amber TeShae Russell
Monticello/Wayne Co. 911

Jeri A. Spencer
Barren-Metcalfe ECC

James Michael Spradlin
Prestonsburg P.D.

Alexis Gail Thomas
Pikeville P.D.

Cody J. Wells
Lexington E-911

Hannah Faith Wise
Georgetown P.D.

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 now and into the future.

In December, the Governor announced the Forward, Together budget proposal which will continue boosting public and officer safety. The proposed budget includes a $2,500 raise for all KSP troopers and officers and enough funding to add 150 more troopers over the next two years. This raise follows the $18,800 raise Gov. Beshear secured for all troopers and officers during the previous budget session. Gov. Beshear’s budget also includes increasing the law enforcement training stipend yet again, improving the pension system for state and local law enforcement and grant funding for local law enforcement agencies to purchase body armor.

Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $10 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 August, the administration awarded $2.1 million in grant funding to enhance public safety, curb the sale of illegal drugs and fight addiction.

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 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 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.