30 New Law Enforcement Officers Ready to Protect Their Communities

On July 23, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 30 law enforcement officers from agencies across the commonwealth have graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) basic training academy in Richmond. These law enforcement officers now return home to serve, protect and create a safer New Kentucky Home.

“Kentucky is better because of selfless public servants like you, which is why every single Kentucky family thanks you for your commitment to protecting us each day,” Gov. Beshear said. “As Governor, I pray for your safety and give thanks for your decision to choose a career that makes our commonwealth safer.”

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 570 received more than 800 hours of recruit-level instruction over 20 weeks. Major training areas included patrol procedures, physical training, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, criminal law, traffic and DUI, firearms, criminal investigations, cultural awareness, bias-related crimes, and tactical responses to crisis situations.

Since December 2019, the Beshear-Coleman administration has graduated 1,906 officers from DOCJT’s basic training academy. Today’s 30 graduating law enforcement officers will begin working with the 8,000 other officers of the commonwealth to create a commonwealth that is safer for all Kentuckians.

“Over the last 20 weeks, you have listened earnestly to the training and guidance from your class coordinator and instructors here at DOCJT in preparation of the great task ahead of you,” said DOCJT Commissioner Mike Bosse. “I urge you to remember their instruction and commit the skills taught to heart.”

The Beshear-Coleman administration is proud to welcome the 30 new law enforcement officers into the partnership of public safety. Along with all those currently serving in law enforcement, graduates will play key roles in the ongoing effort to make each of Kentucky’s communities safer.

Class 570 graduates and their agencies are:

Jesus Arambula
Florence Police Dept.

Darold Bailey
Fleming County Sheriff’s Office

Matthew Barnett
Southgate Police Dept.

Braydon Bolton
Shively Police Dept.

Conner Bridges
Florence Police Dept.

Jared Capps
Fort Wright Police Dept.

Ethan Cates
Nicholasville Police Dept.

Nathan Courtney
Florence Police Dept.

Franklin Davis
Florence Police Dept.

Jonathan Drake
Irvington Police Dept.

Nathaniel Edwards
University of Kentucky Police Dept.

Ryan Heidrich
Union County Sheriff’s Office

Tyler Herndon
Hopkinsville Police Dept.

Justin Hill
Frankfort Police Dept.

Robert Hisle
Frankfort Police Dept.

Kolten Lynn
Henderson Police Dept.

Gage Mitchell
Frankfort Police Dept.

Tayvion Mitchell
Greensburg Police Dept.

Adam Napier
Laurel County Sheriff’s Office

Tyler Olderham
Fleming County Sheriff’s Office

Rebecca Parsons
Glasgow Police Dept.

Augustus Rayome
Nicholasville Police Dept.

Cory Ripato
Mt. Sterling Police Dept.

Joshua Schlake
Florence Police Dept.

Aaron Smith
Frankfort Police Dept.

Angelina Spies
Henderson Police Dept.

Justin Spillman
Shively Police Dept.

Isaac Sweet
Maysville Police Dept.

Noah Toppass
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

John Wilson
Lakeside Park - Crestview Hills Police Dept.

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.

In April, Gov. Beshear broke ground on DOCJT’s new Madisonville campus. When completed, the $50 million project will house two buildings – a 42,800-square-foot classroom and administration building providing learning space, offices and recruit showers and changing areas, as well as a 30,625-square-foot high bay building, which will house an open training area, additional classroom space and gym equipment. The recently passed 2026-2028 state budget also allocates $13.1 million to construct a driving track at the new facility. The General Assembly did not include the full $64.8 million requested by the Governor in his executive budget proposal to construct both a driving track and an indoor firing range at the Madisonville facility.

Until Team Kentucky completes the Madisonville campus, the commonwealth is offering basic training in facilities provided by the Madisonville Police Department. As of January, 37 officers have graduated from the Western Kentucky Law Enforcement Training Facility.

The Governor continues to support law and champion law enforcement. The recently passed 2026-2028 state budget also includes funds to raise the annual law enforcement training stipend to $4,746 for full-time officers by 2028 – another all-time high.

Protecting the commonwealth’s schools are a top priority of Team Kentucky. In August, the Governor announced that 1,315 Kentucky public schools are following statutory safety requirements required by the School Safety and Resiliency Act and that the number of school resource officers protecting schools has increased more than 100% since he took office.

Since Gov. Beshear took office, fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release. For two years in a row, recidivism rates in the commonwealth have decreased, meaning that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned.

The 2025 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June, shows that, from 2024 to 2025, there was an overall decrease of 8.14% in reports of serious crime.

For four straight years, overdose deaths have decreased in Kentucky. In 2025, the commonwealth saw 22.9% fewer overdose deaths than the year prior.

In April 2025, Gov. Beshear officially opened the doors to the new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty. The facility is designed for officers to learn intensive and specialized training that will support all of Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies.

Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $13 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.

In June 2022, Gov. Beshear announced the Military to Law Enforcement Program (M-2-LE), which 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 their branch of the armed forces while they undergo law enforcement training at DOCJT.

LATEST NEWS

Featured

30 New Law Enforcement Officers Ready to Protect Their Communities