The City of Columbia Police Department was awarded a grant of approximately $140,000 for the purpose of hiring a new cadet into the local police department. This grant would allow the police to hire a cadet; and, send them through the Department of Criminal Justice Training located in Richmond, Kentucky.
The grant was received through the C.O.P.S.
(Community Oriented Policing Services); an affiliate of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. This grant will allow for assistance in the hiring of an officer, training, and three years of employment with the City of Columbia.
“We have had approximately thirty five applicants for the position,” stated Chief Evan Burton. Those applicants will be contacted for a Physical Agility Test Preparation, that is a part of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Training Academy.
The local police will have a local testing for candidates next weekend. Following that testing, final candidates will be interviewed by the local Police Hiring Board.
The decision on a final candidate should be completed by the second quarter of 2026. Chief Burton will work on entering the final candidate into the program at Eastern Kentucky University.
“We are excited to receive this grant; and, about the possibilities it offers to our community,” said Mayor Hoots.
(Mayor Pamela Hoots – City of Columbia)