Thirty-two law enforcement officers from agencies across the state graduated from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) basic training academy, including two from Northern Kentucky.

These law enforcement officers will now return home to serve and protect the community and create safer communities.

“Congratulations to these graduates who have committed to 20 weeks of extended basic training,” said Governor Beshear. “Our community is a better and safer place because these individuals answered the call to service. Thank you for protecting your communities and the future of our children.”

DOCJT is committed to providing officers with best practices, the latest technological training and legal information to protect the diverse communities they serve. Graduates of the 552nd received more than 800 hours of recruit-level training over 20 weeks. Major areas of training included patrol procedures, physical training, vehicle operations, defensive tactics, criminal law, traffic and DUI, firearms, criminal investigations, cultural awareness, bias crimes, and tactical crisis response.

As of December 2019, 1,585 officers have graduated from the basic training academy.

The 32 graduating law enforcement officers will begin working with the Commonwealth’s 8,000 other officers to create a community that is safer for all Kentuckians now and in the future.

The graduates of Class 552 and their agencies are:

Matt S. Archer, McCracken County Sheriff’s Office
Arnold W. Arnett, Police Department Mt. Vernon
Joel Baker, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
Justin Barrera, Northern Kentucky University Police Department
Emily Branham, Morehead Police Department
Aaron T. Capshaw, Tompkinsville Police Department
Kendall Catron, Russell Springs Police Department
Talon Cole, Calloway County Sheriff’s Office
Cole Cordle, Grayson Police Department
Noah J. Dishman, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office
Devon Evans, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office
Jimmy Foster, Somerset Police Department
Nikkolas Gillespie, Georgetown Police Department
Tristan Hines, Somerset Police Department
Carl Kern, Simpson County Sheriff’s Office
Jessica P. Maynard, Prestonsburg Police Department
Collin R. Morris, Meade County Sheriff’s Office
William Mulder, Paris Police Department
Lauren Muntz, Danville Police Department
Hunter Perdue, Burkesville Police Department
Justin Pressley, Murray State University Police Department
Elliott Rayens, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office
Coulter Reams, Somerset Police Department
Anthony Salerno, Breckinridge County Sheriff’s Office
Ryan Spinda, Worthington Police Department
Alexander Stratman, Georgetown Police Department
Matthew Tarkey, Simpson County Sheriff’s Office
Benjamin Tipton, Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Keith Wagner, Florence Police Department
Marcus Walling, Georgetown Police Department
Ryan West, Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Bryan O’Neal Wilmot, Garrard County Sheriff’s Office

DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, deputy sheriffs, university police, and airport police throughout the state, except for the Louisville Metro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Bowling Green Police Department, and State Police of Kentucky, each of which has independent academies.