By Stacy Floden, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs
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Three Guardsmen graduate from the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Basic Training academy for law enforcement officers in Richmond, Ky., June 30, 2017. Left to right: Pfc. Bryan Smith, Sgt. Joshua Urbanowski, Sgt. 1st Class David Lunz. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Stacy Floden)
(RICHMOND, Ky
.) - The Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) graduated 25 law enforcement officers from agencies across the state in June from basic training in Richmond, Ky. Of the class, three officers represent the Kentucky National Guard. Edmonton Police Officer David Lunz, Cold Spring’s Police Officer Bryan Smith and Officer Joshua Urbanowski from the Princeton Police Department.
"The National Guard has helped me learn how to treat people and how to present myself. This training at DOCJT was more laid back than Basic Training, but I learned a lot of the same stuff. The one main thing I learned is to be professional at all times know matter who you are, where you are or who you are around,” said Lunz. “I just want to make the town I live in a better place to live. My original goal was to be a firefighter, but I was able to figure out this is where I would be the most good for my hometown.”
Sgt. 1
st Class Lunz has spent six years in the Guard. He serves with the 177
th Engineer Firefighting Team. Pfc. Smith of the 138
th Field Artillery Brigade left the Guard in April after serving seven years and Sgt. Urbanowski is with the 223
rd Military Police Company and has served for seven years.
Click here for more photos.
The graduates of Class 483 completed 23 weeks of training, which consisted of recruit-level instruction. Major training areas included homeland security, law offenses and procedures, vehicle operations, firearms, investigations, first aid and CPR, patrol procedures, orientation for new law enforcement families and the mechanics of arrest, restraint and control.
“We are all beginning our career in law enforcement during one of the most dangerous times for officers which raises the question 'why would we do it?'” said Urbanowski. “It was said by Edmund Burke, ‘That the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ We have all heard this calling. The calling to stand up and do something in our communities and keep that evil in check.”
Urbanowski received the academic achievement award which is given to the recruit with the highest final course grade determined by an average of seven major written academic tests. He also received the recruitment of distinction award. This is given to a recruit who achieves a grade point average of at least 93% on all five academic tests, has no test failures in any tested area, no disciplinary action, participates in a community project and actively promotes teamwork within the class environment.
“Military police training definitely correlates to the civilian side of the police. I think the most important thing I learned is to treat people with respect. The more respect I show them, the more they will show me,” Urbanowski said. “My military police background helped me in getting this position and showing a professional bearing in my interviews and dealing with people.”
Basic training is mandatory for Kentucky law enforcement officers to comply with the state’s Peace Officer Professional Standards Act of 1998. DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police, airport police and others. Before they can go out on the street and become an effective officer, they have to go through basic training.
“I joined the National Guard in hopes of becoming a police officer. I deployed to Iraq for a year and also to Afghanistan as a military police officer,” said Smith. “Being around drill sergeants and learning how to take orders has really helped me at the DOCJT basic training for law enforcement.”
DOCJT is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. The agency also provides in-service and leadership training for Kentucky law enforcement officers and public safety dispatch training. A minimum of 40 hours of training every year is required to maintain their certification.