The Leitchfield Police Department recently underwent a safety and liability review by an outside law enforcement expert.
The review, mandated and sponsored by the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC), takes place every three years, and this year was conducted by John Clark, a law enforcement consultant with KLC.
Clark, at Monday night’s Leitchfield City Council meeting, said he recently completed a “comprehensive look at the agency’s leadership, training, policies, and best practices.”
Along with Leitchfield PD Chief David Riley and his executive staff, Clark “took a comprehensive look at how the Leitchfield Police Department handles these areas … handles their business.”
“More specifically,” Clark stressed, “we looked at things that get officers hurt, and that get officers, departments and the cities sued.”
Clark said the review requires the “examination of over 60 areas” of operations, including how officers drive, officers’ training, firearms training, response to resistance training, warrant service, how evidence is collected, kept and disposed of, and equipment.
In speaking to the council, Clark profusely praised LPD, as the department — for the first time ever — recorded a perfect score.
“KLC has extremely high standards on these reviews … and we keep moving the bar forward so that departments keep getting better and better. But for the first time, the Leitchfield Police Department has demonstrated a 100 percent score, meeting or beating industry standards in every area that we measured.
“This is an accomplishment for the police department, but I also want to highlight that it’s an accomplishment for the city council, as well. Without your financial support, (the perfect score) wouldn’t have been possible.”
Clark additionally praised the efforts put forth by the department’s leadership to ensure operations are handled in a professional and forthright manner.
“These gentleman work very hard to make sure that everything is done the best way that they can do it, that their training is up to par, and that everything is done the best way humanly possible.”
The perfect score has a financial benefit, as well, according to Clark, as the city will receive a discount on the insurance premiums for law enforcement coverage.
(Photo front row l-r: Representative of KLC, John Clark, LPD Chief David Riley. Looking on from behind are l-r: Councilman Raymond “Tootie” Cottrell, Mayor Harold Miller, as KLC awards LPD a plaque in recognition of the department’s perfect score)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
