Five from Big Sandy region graduate from KSP Academy

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

FRANKFORT — Thirty-eight new Kentucky State Police cadets from Class 102 graduated from their training academy Friday, including three from Lawrence County and two from Floyd County.

Chase Coverdale, Brett Criswell and Zachary Wright, all of Louisa; Christin Mitchell of Prestonsburg; and Jacob Williams of Harold completed more than 1,000 hours of training to graduate from the academy.

Coverdale, Criswell, Wright and Mitchell have been assigned to KSP Post 14 in Ashland, with Williams being assigned to Post 8 in Morehead.

Thirteen cadets, including Criswell and Wright, earned their associate degree in general occupational and technical studies from Bluegrass Community and Technical College during their 24-weeks at the training academy.

Those cadets benefited from the new hiring guidelines established by the state legislature in 2017, a KSP release said. Through the revision, anyone who possesses a high school diploma or GED, and has three years of full-time work experience can apply for employment as a KSP Trooper and earn an associate’s degree during the training process.

Cadets reported to the KSP Training Academy on June 5 for 24-weeks of intense training to learn the job skills necessary to perform the duties of a state trooper.

Graduating cadets pledged to uphold the mission of KSP by promoting public safety through service, integrity and professionalism using partnerships to prevent, reduce and deter crime and fear of crime, enhance highway safety through education and enforcement, safeguard property and protect individual rights.

The KSP Training Academy provides cadets with best practices, the latest technology training and legal information to help make the commonwealth’s streets safer, communities stronger and the nation more secure through exceptional law enforcement, the release said.

The graduates of Cadet Class 102 received more than 1,000 hours of classroom and field study in subjects such as constitutional law, juvenile and traffic law, use of force, weapons training, defensive tactics, first aid, high speed vehicle pursuit, criminal investigation, computer literacy, hostage negotiations, evidence collection, radio procedures, search and seizure, crash investigation, drug identification, traffic control, crowd control, armed robbery response, electronic crimes, sex crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence, bomb threats and hazardous materials, the release said.