When the Owensboro Police Department opened its own Basic Training Academy last year, it wasn’t just about keeping recruits closer to home — it was about giving them the necessary training and resources to allow them to best serve the community. After the first class of nine graduated on Friday, officials have deemed the academy a success and look forward to welcoming the next round of recruits.
The benefits of the local academy are clear: recruits receive training tailored to the city’s policies, gain hands-on experience in state-of-the-art facilities, and go home to their families each night, reinforcing community ties. Meanwhile, the department saves time and resources by integrating its policies into the training process, ensuring officers are road-ready the moment they graduate.
OPD celebrated the graduation of its first Basic Training Academy class on Friday. The nine graduates were Darrin Brown, Devin Dowdy, Anthony Esparza, Noah Hopper, Dominic Jackson, Derek Jessee, Joseph Keown, Robert Luttrell, and Tyler Morrison. After a rigorous 23-week program, they will begin patrol duties as early as Sunday, immediately joining the force.
The academy, approved in November 2023, allows Owensboro Police recruits to complete their training locally, eliminating the need to attend the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) in Richmond, Kentucky. This shift represents a broader effort by the department to enhance the quality and efficiency of officer training while providing a new level of convenience for recruits.
“One of the advantages is that you get the ability to go home to your family and have that support system with you every night,” said Lt. Courtney Yerington, the department’s Training Division Supervisor. “Your family supports you when you’re afar, but that can cause challenges when you’re three to three-and-a-half hours away from home Monday through Friday and having to go up Sunday evening and return Friday afternoon.”
OPD Chief Art Ealum added that while family support is important during the training period, it’s perhaps even more crucial as the new officers move forward with their careers.
“I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the families and friends of our first graduate class,” Ealum said to those in attendance at the graduation. “The training they had to endure to make this moment a success was very intense, very informative, and sometimes overwhelming. Although we thank you for being a pillar of support throughout their time at the Academy, we want to remind you that these officers need your support throughout their entire careers.”
The creation of the Owensboro Police Department’s academy was years in the making. Over two years of preparation culminated in the construction of a 5,000-square-foot training facility. The building, which opened in June 2022, features two classrooms, a simulator room, a fitness area, and specialized spaces for firearm maintenance and tactical training.
“Having the training facility in the space out there was a huge asset for us as we began the journey into opening the academy,” Yerington said. “Besides needing a facility, we clearly needed to have the curriculum written and have all of the instructors in place to be able to teach those courses, but we also needed a site to train them at.”
Yerington noted the investment will also pay off for current officers, as the training facility can be utilized by the entire force.
In addition to the facility, the department developed a curriculum approved by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, ensuring that the training meets state standards while incorporating local elements. This dual focus allows recruits to learn general law enforcement techniques alongside Owensboro-specific procedures.
For Noah Hopper, a 23-year-old who graduated the program Friday, the chance to train close to home was a game-changer. Hopper, who grew up with a passion for law enforcement, said the academy offered a hands-on learning experience that far exceeded his expectations.
“The academy gave me more of a real-world learning experience, where we weren’t just sitting in class learning how to talk to people,” Hopper said. “We had scenarios where we gained the ability to be in those situations and being put in uncomfortable situations where we had to learn how to deal with it. I think will help when we’re out on patrol and being put in situations that we’re not really familiar with.”
Hopper emphasized the academy’s emphasis on experiential learning. Recruits were taught subjects like patrol procedures, criminal law, and defensive tactics in the classroom, then immediately applied their knowledge in simulated environments.
“It kind of put the rubber to the road where we would learn certain topics and then got to actually do it,” he said. “We would learn from our mistakes if we messed up or anything.”
The academy’s success is largely credited to its instructors, a blend of current and former officers with specialized expertise. Yerington highlighted the collaborative effort required to establish the program, noting that instructors are certified in various areas, including firearms, defensive tactics, and criminal investigations.
“It is a collaboration of the entire agency working together to accomplish this mission of having an academy class be successful and ultimately graduate, which is the pinnacle,” Yerington said. “We want these recruits to be the best-trained recruits that we possibly can have. So we’re going to do everything in our power to present the information in the best way possible and ensure that they learn what they need to learn. If they make mistakes, then they learn from those mistakes in the academy so that when they get out to help our community, they’re doing it the right way and doing what we expect them to do.”
Hopper echoed these sentiments, praising the personal attention and commitment of the academy staff.
“They took a personal interest in our success. instructors genuinely want to see us succeed,” he said. “You could tell that they wanted to see us accomplish the goals that they had set for us and gain the experience and take over the mantle as we come into the police force.”
Graduation is only the beginning for these new officers. Starting next week, they will join the patrol division, hitting the streets to apply their training in real time. Yerington said this seamless transition is one of the academy’s key advantages.
“DOCJT in Richmond does an amazing job of training new recruits, but the advantage is when I’m teaching them about (various investigations), I’m teaching them content similarly to Richmond, but I’m also going through our entire policy and procedure, telling them how we as the Owensboro Police Department respond to those types of investigations,” Yerington said, adding that the recruits can now learn how to use the OPD computer and reporting systems simultaneously as the complete the regular academy training rather than having to wait until they return from Richmond. “It’s a little more streamlined in the ability to show them everything of how we want it done from the very beginning.”
Yerington noted that having officers trained locally fosters stronger ties between the police force and the community it serves.
“As instructors and as staff, we’ve been able to get to know them and see them grow over the past six months and prepare them instilling the the ownership idea of this is our community and we’re here to serve the public and help them when they need us,” Yerington said.
Hopper, who grew up in Owensboro, is eager to give back to his hometown. He said there’s a mix of nervousness and excitement heading into his first day on patrol.
“I get to help out in the community that I live in,” he said. “I can say that the academy’s been the best job I’ve ever had, so if patrol and being out on the streets is better than the academy, then it’ll be one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had. I think I’ve gained confidence through the academy to know what I need to do whenever I’m facing certain situations, and I’ll do my best to use that.”
Ealum asked the graduates to never lose sight of what it takes to uphold the duties of a police officer.
“There are inherent dangers associated with our profession. The ones we see are often the easy ones: the speeding car driving at you, the woman with the gun, the man with the knife, etc. However, those unseen dangers — lack of complacency and subtle changes in your attitude toward the public, your family members, and even yourself — can wreak havoc on your professional and personal career,” he said. “Strive to always do what is morally and ethically right. Be humble and be a lifelong learner. Never compromise your integrity for anyone or anything.”
He ended his address to the new officers with a final note: “Thank you all for accepting the calling to serve this great community in the capacity of police officer. Policing, in my opinion, is still one of the noblest professions in the world. Please do your part to keep it that way.”
With the success of its inaugural class, the Owensboro Police Department is already gearing up for its next training session. The next class is set to begin in early 2025.
