Mike Bosse appointed Commissioner

Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed Mike Bosse as commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Training effective immediately. While serving as deputy commissioner, Bosse has been instrumental in reducing the wait time for officers to attend basic training, establishing a Madisonville training facility, increasing instructor pay and networking with Kentucky chiefs and sheriffs.

Kentucky is leading the nation in public safety and DOCJT is pivotal in ensuring our officers, communities, schools and dispatch centers are trained and equipped with the knowledge needed to move the state forward as we work to make sure Kentucky families not only are safe but feel safe.

“For the past several years we have been changing the way we train Kentucky’s finest, and it is working, as we have seen recidivism and overdose deaths decline,” Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said. “To continue with the state’s positive trajectory, we must instill confidence in our leaders and encourage them to think creatively. I am confident that Commissioner Bosse is the right person for the job at the right time and that he will champion for the needs of law enforcement across our state.”

Commissioner Bosse is an established member of the law enforcement community having served as Georgetown Police Chief and retired as assistant chief of the Lexington Police Department. He also served several years with the administration as Chair of the Professional Standards Committee of the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, where he led efforts alongside police chiefs and sheriffs to give the council more authority to decertify law enforcement officers found guilty of crimes or misconduct through the passage of Senate Bill 80 in 2022.

“I am honored to continue serving Kentuckians and law enforcement in the role of commissioner as we work to build a new Kentucky home with safer communities for future generations,” said Commissioner Bosse. “Our commonwealth is leading the nation and the staff at the Department of Criminal Justice Training is working to advance training that keeps more than 8,000 officers and 4.5 million Kentuckians safe in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Over the next several years we will have created a legacy that will carry our state into the future.”

Toby Young Appointed State School Security Marshal

Toby Young,  State School Security Marshal

Gov. Beshear has appointed Toby Young to serve as State School Security Marshal. Toby has been with the Department of Criminal Justice Training since Dec. 2019, after serving with the Kentucky State Police in a variety of roles for 20 years. As a compliance officer responsible for 97 public schools representing 17 school districts located throughout 13 counties, Toby is well versed in the school safety laws, compliance, school resource officer training and critical needs to ensure Kentucky’s students and staff are provided with a safe learning environment.

On August 28, the Kentucky Office of the State School Security Marshal released the annual School Safety Risk Assessment Report, which showed 99.81% of Kentucky’s schools, which represents 1,325 public schools, are in compliance with the School Safety and Resiliency Act.

Since Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 63 in 2022, every Kentucky public school is required to employ a school resource officer (SRO) and the number of SROs assigned to school campuses has increased to 790. This is a 28% increase over the last year and a 61% increase since the bill was signed into law.

“These tremendous results are only the beginning of a strong future for Kentucky’s school system with support from our state school security marshal and compliance officers,” Commissioner Bosse said. “We are turning progress into prosperity for future generations, and I am confident that Toby will continue this forward momentum and ensure our future leaders succeed in the classroom, and beyond.”

“The Office of the State School Security Marshal has created a strong foundation and together, we have done great work, but there is more work left to do and we are ready for the challenge,” said School Marshal Young. “In this new role as State School Security Marshal, I will be focused on ensuring every school is not only in compliance but stays in compliance with statutory safety requirements, increasing the number of graduated school resources officers by making training more accessible and revamping any training courses needed to meet the needs of our school system and ensure that Kentucky continues to be a leader in school safety.”

David Hay Appointed Director of Training

David Hay, Director of Training

Gov. Beshear has appointed David Hay as Director of Training. David brings over 20 years of service as a law enforcement first-responder, supervisor and administrator with a diverse range of investigative and administrative experience across the commonwealth, having retired from the Kentucky State Police in 2012. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Vice President of Campus Safety with Asbury University, a position he has held since March 2014. David also has served as an adjunct professor at Eastern Kentucky University, School of Criminal Justice and Upper Iowa University, School of Criminal Justice. In 2020, David also received his doctorate in criminal justice from Walden University located in Minneapolis, MN.

“The vast experience in criminal justice and higher education that David will bring to DOCJT is instrumental to the future of law enforcement in Kentucky,” said Commissioner Bosse. “We will be revising the way we deliver material, how often we make needed updates on topics and capitalize on his knowledge as we open a new facility in Madisonville. As the economy continues to boom and more and more people move to Kentucky to experience our momentum, law enforcement interactions and policing will see adjustments, and David is the perfect candidate to steer us forward.”

“Higher education and law enforcement training should go hand in hand for public safety to increase and crime to reduce,” Director Hay said. “DOCJT is nationally recognized for its impressive training, facilities and instructors, and I will capitalize on its foundation to take us into the future as more officers come through our doors to not only receive basic training but make a long-lasting career in law enforcement.”