Gov. Beshear Announces Groundbreaking of New Law Enforcement Training Facility

Groundbreaking ceremony at Madisonville, KY

On April 30, alongside law enforcement officers and state and local leaders, the Beshear-Coleman administration broke ground on the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) new law enforcement training facility in Madisonville. The Governor said this groundbreaking is a testament to the administration’s pledge to make Kentucky a national leader in public safety while ensuring those who protect the commonwealth have the tools and resources needed to stay safe.

“This new campus helps ensure recruits from western Kentucky can receive the best training without having to drive hours to Richmond each day,” Gov. Beshear said. “It’s another way we’re working to make sure our brave officers have the resources, equipment and support needed to return home safely to their families at the end of each shift.”

Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson represented the Governor today at the event, who was unable to travel due to inclement weather.

“This campus will ensure our officers have access to state-of-the-art resources that will prepare them to serve their communities well,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said. “This would not have been possible without the leaders and partners who made this work possible, as well as the officers and their families who sacrifice so much for us each day. For that, all Kentucky says thank you.”

Construction is expected to be completed in September 2027. When completed, the facility will support two basic training recruit classes concurrently, with a total of four classes graduating from the facility each year with an average of 30 officers. The new campus, once operational, will bring 20 full-time jobs with an average salary of $60,000 to the Madisonville area.

The recently passed 2026-2028 state budget allocates $13.1 million for a driving track to be built at the Madisonville facility and funds to raise the annual law enforcement training stipend to $4,746 for full-time officers by 2028 – another all-time high. The General Assembly did not include the full $64.8 million to construct both a driving track and an indoor firing range that the Governor requested in his executive budget proposal.

During today’s ceremony, Secretary Jackson unveiled the names of the campus and buildings selected by Gov. Beshear in honor of two great Kentuckians who dedicated their lives to the service of the commonwealth.

When completed, the $50 million campus known as the Department of Criminal Justice Training West: Gaines-Brown Campus will house two buildings – the J. Michael Brown Administration Building will be a 42,800-square-foot classroom and administration building providing learning space, offices and recruit showers and changing areas, and the 30,625-square-foot Peanut Gaines High Bay Building will house an open training area, additional classroom space and gym equipment.

“It is a privilege to honor two men who spent their entire careers fighting for justice and the protection of Kentuckians,” said Gov. Beshear.

J. Michael Brown was the first Black Kentuckian to serve as secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Prior to his time at the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Brown served as deputy attorney general under then-Attorney General Andy Beshear and assistant commonwealth’s attorney for the 30th Judicial District. He retired in 2022 after serving three years as secretary of the Executive Cabinet for the Beshear-Coleman administration and became the director of pre-law and constitutional studies at Simmons College of Kentucky. He also served as president of the Louisville Bar Association and on the boards of the Criminal Justice Association, the Kentucky State Board of Elections and the West End Opportunity Partnership.

Jerry M. “Peanuts” Gaines was the longest-serving sheriff in Warren County history and one of the longest-serving in the commonwealth, from 1978 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 2018. Gaines was a founding member of the Kentucky Sheriffs’ Association’s Boys & Girls Ranch, a five-time president of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association, the 1995 National Sheriff of the Year, 2000-2001 president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the only sheriff to serve as president of the Kentucky Association of Counties. Prior to his service to Warren County, Gaines served as a member of the United States Army and as a military policeman. Gaines was instrumental in growing the Warren County Sheriff’s Office from 13 employees when he was first elected to over 100 at the time of his retirement.

Several local and state leaders joined today’s ceremony in support of this new facility:

“This new academy location is an exceptional opportunity to expand the services DOCJT offers in Madisonville,” said DOCJT Deputy Commissioner Brian Bowling. “This campus minimizes the sacrifice that folks in Western Kentucky must make to obtain the same high standards of training the commonwealth’s officers have always received in Richmond.”

In February 2025, DOCJT partnered with the Madisonville Police Department to open a basic training academy at the agency’s headquarters in an effort to reduce wait times, keep officers closer to home and ensure communities are safer by training more officers simultaneously at two different locations in the state for the first time in the history of the commonwealth. The first class of 21 officers graduated from this location on June 18, 2025, after completing the state-mandated 20 weeks of basic training.

Currently, 24 officers are receiving basic training at the DOCJT facility located at the Madisonville Police Department and are expected to graduate in August.

“Madisonville is a perfect location to expand the Department of Criminal Justice Training, and our city is thrilled to welcome officers from around the state who are pursuing their training here,” said Madisonville Mayor Kevin Cotton.

Hardin County Sheriff’s Deputy Brionna Ray, who was named recruit of distinction for the inaugural graduating class, joined the ceremony today as a representative of the 37 officers who have graduated from Madisonville thus far and the many who will come after.

“Entering the law enforcement profession has been a longtime dream of mine,” Deputy Ray said. “The Madisonville academy allowed me to complete my training close to home and my family. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the inaugural class.”

DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police and airport police throughout the state, excluding only the Louisville Metro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Bowling Green Police Department, Owensboro Police Department and Kentucky State Police, each of which have independent academies.

The Beshear-Coleman administration continues to support and work with law enforcement to create a safer New Kentucky Home by:

Increasing the number of law enforcement officers serving the commonwealth. Since Gov. Beshear took office, 2,728 officers have graduated from one of the state’s basic training academies.
In July 2023, the Beshear administration broke ground on the Jody Cash Multipurpose Training Facility, a new law enforcement training facility in Richmond named in honor of Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty May 16, 2022. In April 2025, the Governor officially opened the doors to the 42,794-square-foot facility, which contains a 50-yard, 30-lane firing range and is designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that supports training all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.
Reducing recidivism rates in the commonwealth for two years in a row. Nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned.
Lowering overdose deaths for three straight years, including a 30.2% decrease in 2024.
Decreasing reports of serious crime by 7.66% in 2024.
Ensuring Kentucky’s public schools adhere to mandated safety requirements. At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, 1,315 public schools were following statutory safety requirements.
·More than doubling the number of school resource officers assigned to public schools.
Creating a pathway for military veterans to receive pay while attending the basic training academy prior to their retirement from the Armed Forces.
Breaking ground on a new Drivers’ Skills Pad at the Kentucky State Police Training Academy.
Allocating $12.2 million in the state budget for the Kentucky State Police to purchase body cameras for the first time in the commonwealth’s history.
Awarding nearly $13.4 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.