Gov. Andy Beshear joined the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) at the first in-person basic training academy graduation ceremony since the onset of the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor recognized the 28 law enforcement officers from 19 agencies across the Commonwealth who completed law enforcement basic training and showed support of the essential and life-saving work they will do in the communities they serve.
“As your Governor, I am honored to have each of you serving and protecting all Kentuckians,” Gov. Beshear said to the recruits during the graduation ceremony. “Thank you, only a select few among us are called to serve the Commonwealth of Kentucky in this role, and I am grateful to have each and every one of you on Team Kentucky.”
DOCJT is committed to providing officers with best practices, the latest technology training and legal information to protect the diverse communities they serve. The graduates of Class 515 received 800 hours of recruit-level instruction over 20 weeks. Major training areas include: patrol procedures, physical training, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, criminal law, traffic and DUI, firearms, criminal investigations, cultural awareness, bias-related crimes and responses to crisis situations.
“Today you graduate the academy having completed your training,” said DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “But this is just the beginning. Your career will be full of challenges and triumphs. But each day that you put on that uniform, know that there is a community who feels safer and more secure because of your commitment to integrity and professionalism.”
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.
Class 515 graduates and their agencies are:
Brandon R. Anderson
Russellville Police Department
Aubrey M. Carter
Florence Police Department
Noah B. Collins
Madisonville Police Department
Ryan L. Downs
Nelson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Britton M. Elmore
Elizabethtown Police Department
Jonathan C. Hale
Harrodsburg Police Department
Joshua K. Hardin
Glasgow Police Department
Tyler J. Hatfield
Newport Police Department
James W. Hauenstein
Newport Police Department
Dalton T. Hayes
Montgomery Co. Sheriff’s Office
Tyler R. Jackson
Florence Police Department
Christopher T. Jewell
Marion Co. Sheriff’s Office
(Outstanding Performance Award for Physical Fitness)
Ethan C. Jones
Elizabethtown Police Department
Larry R. Jones
Graves Co. Sheriff’s Office
Cassidy S. Martinez
Hopkinsville Police Department
Tristen W. Nantz
Madisonville Police Department
Aaron C. O’Leary
Madisonville Police Department
Peyton L. Payne
Elizabethtown Police Department
Austin J. Ray
Danville Police Department
Christopher L. Robinson
Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office
(Coordinator’s Award)
Jason D. Samples
Newport Police Department
(Firearms Proficiency Award)
Dexter G. Seward
Simpson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Branden S. Short
Mason Co. Sheriff’s Office
Quinton A. Smoot
Maysville Police Department
(Recruit of Distinction, Academic Achievement Award)
Corey A. Springfield
Madisonville Police Department
Tanner V. Tout
Bath Co. Sheriff’s Office
(Firearms Proficiency Award)
Dallas G. Wills
Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office
(Most Improved Award for Physical Fitness and Defensive Tactics)
Yeng Xiong
Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice