Often as new recruits begin their law enforcement basic training, they are filled with anxiety and questions about their families’ role in this new career. Spouses and other family members share that anxiety and question where exactly they will fit into the law enforcement community. Fortunately for recruits and their loved ones in Kentucky, the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) Academy has established a solid working model to support officers and their families.
This program, which started in 2005, brings families together during basic training. The Kentucky DOCJT has trained an estimated 900 recruits and over 1,000 family members. Basic recruits are taught the importance of family support during their career and the idea that their family is number one on their priority list, placing it in front of their profession. They are also taught that support comes back to them from family and friends outside of the law enforcement field. In other words, it is okay to have friends outside the law enforcement community. Family members are presented with a program from veteran police couples, who define their relationships and the pitfalls they have overcome, as well as their successes.