Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announce 24 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 159

Providing a lifeline to citizens and law enforcement officers

RICHMOND, Ky. (Aug. 9, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 24 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 have chosen a noble profession and your commitment to your community and commonwealth is honorable,” Gov. Beshear said. “You are the lifeline to those who are experiencing the roughest moments of their lives. Thank you for answering the call to serve and being there for Kentuckians in the toughest of times.”

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 159 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, 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.

“Choosing to become a member of this time-honored profession is commendable,” said DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “It carries with it a commitment of honor and professionalism. I thank you for showing that commitment and 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 159 graduates and their agencies are:

Emila Grace Adkins, Elizabethtown Police Department

Ethan Charles Aldridge, Blue Grass Airport Department of Public Safety

Krysten E. Blevins, Boyd County PSCC 911

Travon O. Byers, Frankfort Police Department

Christian Caudill-Williams, Hazard Police Department

Amanda G. Crunk, Muhlenberg County 911

Alexander S. Dunigan, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport AOC

Cameron Dylan Ernspiker, Owensboro Police Department

James Elliot Evans, McLean County Sheriff’s Office

Candace D. Fulton, Martin County 911

Madison R. Hanks, Edmonton/Metcalfe 911 Dispatch

Dawton O’Neil Helton, Magoffin County 911

Austin W. Howard, Madison County E-911

Ashton Raven Inman, London/Laurel County 911 Dispatch Center

Stefanie Kilianski, Elizabethtown Police Department

John J. Laney, Lawrence County 911

Tabatha J. Lawhon, Monticello/Wayne County 911

Jeremy S. Neal, Rockcastle County 911

Tracey I. Nichols, Grayson County 911

Madison R. Payne, McLean County Sheriff’s Office

Sabrina Penn, Calloway County Sheriff’s Office

John Andrew Robinson, Lawrenceburg Police Department

Cole A. Scott, Union County 911

Katrina L. Weghorn, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport AOC

DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police and 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.

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 December 2023, 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.

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 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.