DOCJT News
DOCJT Basic Training Class 512 Graduates
The Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, that twenty-eight law enforcement officers from agencies across the state have graduated the basic training academy.
“Your graduation today from the Department of Criminal Justice Training makes you part of a special group of brave men and women heroes who have answered the call to serve,” said Governor Beshear. “Thank you for wearing the badge of honor to make our communities stronger, our streets safer and our nation more secure.”
Basic training is mandatory for Kentucky law enforcement officers to comply with the state’s Peace Officer Professional Standards Act of 1998. The graduates of Class 512 received 800 hours of recruit-level instruction over 20 weeks. Major training areas include: 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.
“The recruits in Class 512 have worked hard to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective in their duties,” said DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek. “I am proud of their work and happy to welcome them officially into the law enforcement family.”
Handle With Care Receives Passing Grade
One year into Handle with Care (HWC), law enforcement and school administrators have given the program a passing grade.
“It has been well-received,” Kentucky School Security Marshal Ben Wilcox said. “The school districts that are aware of it are excited about getting it going. No one thinks it’s a bad idea. Everyone thinks it’s fantastic, and we’re getting a large buy-in with it.”
HWC is a program designed to help school-aged children exposed to trauma. It was introduced into Kentucky’s law enforcement and school districts in fall 2019.
The Right Stop
Driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants continues to be a problem, not only in Kentucky, but also throughout the nation.
Yearly, innocent victims lose their lives due to this senseless act. One of the most effective ways to combat this concern is to arrest the impaired driver before he/she can harm themselves or others. Oftentimes, an officer stops a vehicle initially based upon probable cause for a traffic offense. However, in order to make the investigative stop, an officer need only to be able to articulate reasonable suspicion of criminal activity by the driver. The subsequent investigative detention otherwise known as a Terry Stop may lead to probable cause that the driver is operating under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants.
So, what facts might constitute reasonable suspicion for a valid traffic stop? Would information gleaned from running a vehicle’s license plate qualify? This is the issue the Kentucky Supreme Court addressed in Traft v. Commonwealth, 539 S.W.3d 647 (Ky 2018).