Local officers included in $900 pay raises 

Certified Peace Officers across the Commonwealth will receive their first training incentive raise in 15 years, a press release from Gov. Matt Bevin’s office stated Thursday.

“The state funded training incentive is a great program and provides officers with additional funds for maintaining their training.,” Louisa Police Cheif Greg Fugitt said. “The proposed $900 increase will mean more to officers in this area than it would in other parts of Kentucky. “

The measure affects nearly 7,300 Kentucky officers served by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training.

“We have said consistently, that we are going to protect those who protect us,” said Gov. Bevin. “We are pleased that this final budget ends the practice of sweeping KLEPF funds. These dollars are for our law enforcement and that is exactly what they are going to be used for. We will use these funds not only to attract the best and the brightest, but also to ensure that we keep them.”

Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley applauded the governor’s dedication to peace officers and his resolve in the state budget.

“Kentucky can be proud of its long tradition of training and professionalism in law enforcement,” Secretary Tilley said.“Increasing the incentive will only strengthen our commitment to the highest standards of public service – and to the men and women who put their own lives at risk to keep our communities safe.”

The dollars Gov. Bevin referenced are generated through the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Program Fund, a 1.8 percent surcharge on casualty insurance premiums. About 70 percent of revenues raised from the surcharge are committed to KLEFPF and designated for the mandatory training of Kentucky law enforcement officers.

The fund also supports a training incentive stipend to certified Kentucky peace officers who complete annual, statutorily-mandated training requirements. Since 2001, officers have received $3,100 annually upon meeting these standards. Following Gov. Bevin’s budget signature, these officers will receive $4,000 annually.

“I praise Gov. Bevin for following through with what he said he’d do,” said Wayne Wright Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association president and Woodford County sheriff. “He didn’t back down, and he made it happen. For officers to be recognized through the legislature for their training, and to be compensated for that training, is outstanding.”

DOCJT, the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association, Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police, Kentucky League of Cities and Kentucky Association of Counties formed a coalition to present a unified voice of support for these necessary changes, said Wayne Turner, Bellevue Police chief and KACP legislative chairman.

“This was the first time we all spoke to both Democrats and Republicans with a common voice to say, ‘We need this done for the continued professionalization of law enforcement,’” Turner said. “We worked together for a common cause. The average police officer in Kentucky makes about $30,000. When you get the opportunity to give them a $900 pay raise through this training stipend, it is astronomical.”

The budget also establishes equitability among the state’s law enforcement by including more than 200 certified Kentucky officers who meet the qualifications for inclusion in the KLEFPF training incentive, but have never been statutorily included to receive the stipend. This measure brings in officers from the Kentucky Horse Park mounted patrol officers, Kentucky Department of Parks rangers, Kentucky Department of Agriculture investigators, Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control investigators, Kentucky Department of Insurance investigators, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office investigators and school resource officers serving statewide.

“With the creation of the Peace Officer Professional Standards, the sheriffs stepped up in education and voted to participate in POPS,” Wright said. “It was a big push from our association to get everyone on the same training page and on an equal training field with police officers. Now, we are trained under the same umbrella. The increase in (the KLEFPF training incentive) is a way of showing that we trust our employees. Having better training allows us to retain more employees. Typically some sheriffs’ offices cannot pay as much as some police departments, so for hiring and retaining officers this increase helps a whole lot.”

The Department of Criminal Justice Training 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 International Association for Continuing Education and Training in 2013 – making it the nation’s only law enforcement training academy to achieve dual accreditation by two independent accrediting organizations.