City commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance last week that revises the City of Owensboro employee handbook policy for entry-level police officers. With this new ordinance in place, police officers can obtain their required associate’s degree as part of their law enforcement basic training.
This ordinance only affects entry-level police officers, but it’s expected to improve recruitment numbers for the Owensboro Police Department as new applicants can knock out two important job requirements at once.
The Educating Heroes program is offered by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training and gives new police applicants the chance to earn their associate degree through the Kentucky Community & Technical College System, Bluegrass Community & Technical College while simultaneously attending the state’s training program.
The City Employee Handbook requires all entry-level police officer candidates to have an associate degree or equivalent. This amended policy will give new recruits an alternative to earning their Applied Science Associate Degree at the date of hire.
