"What a difference a year can make," Chief Eric Kendall says as he reflects on the changes within the Cynthiana Police Department over the past year. Kendall became the acting Chief in November 2022 and officially assumed the office in February 2023.
A year ago, CPD had around ten officers. Today, the force has 20 full-time officers, three part-time officers, and a police dog - Yankee. A significant accomplishment for the year has been recruiting, hiring, and retaining officers. The Department has doubled in size this year. It has been a priority and a success. In May this year, Robert Peak joined the force as Assistant Chief. They added a third School Resource Officer, Mark Branham, this year. Officer Branham splits his time between the elementary schools and MCTC Licking Valley Campus.
The growing Department promoted Matthew Royse to Sergeant at the November 7th Commission meeting. At the same meeting, Commissioner Judy announced that police recruit Nathan Rathbone is in the police academy and set to graduate in April 2024.
In the upcoming year, CPD is working towards becoming an accredited department before the 2024-25 fiscal year through the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council. The accreditation would give a significant break on police department insurance. Another project of Chief Kendall's is reacquiring the grant through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. The grant funds will help prevent crashes, injuries, fatalities, and associated costs by identifying transportation safety issues and developing and implementing effective integrated programs and activities.
The Department is also creating a crime scene investigative unit consisting of officers with specialized skills in accident reconstruction, homicide investigation, and evidence collection, to name a few.
"2023 has been an excellent year for the City of Cynthiana and the Cynthiana Police Department, and we are just getting started," says the Chief. The Department will finish the year partnering with the Clayton Arnold Foundation for the program formally known as "Shop with a Cop."