Bluegrass Beat

This month on the Bluegrass Beat, we look at Kentucky’s Roadside Oral Fluid Testing Program with Office of Highway Safety Federal Program Specialist Matt McCoy and Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Jenny True Reed. Listen as we discuss what the program is, how the rollout took place, how testing works, the legal side, and how to get involved.
To learn more about the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, click here.
For more information about the Kentucky Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, click here.
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The Bluegrass Beat is recorded and produced by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Information Office, a proud member of Team Kentucky.
Like what you hear? We appreciate everyone who takes the time to subscribe and rate this podcast.
Have a suggestion? Email host Critley King-Smith at critley.kingsmith@ky.gov to share feedback.
Music by Music for Creators from Pixabay.‍ ‍

In this episode of the Bluegrass Beat podcast, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security Executive Director Amy Hess joins us to discuss her agency’s role in keeping the Commonwealth safe and how it partners with local agencies to enhance public safety.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
With nearly 35 years of experience in public safety, Amy Hess has held leadership roles across federal, state and local government. She currently serves as the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS). Before her role at KOHS, she served as a special assistant to Kentucky’s Department of Criminal Justice Training, after holding a similar position of executive advisor in the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. As Chief of Public Safety for Louisville Metro Government, she played a key role in the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest in 2020-2021. For 29 years before that, Ms. Hess was a Special Agent and senior executive in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assignments in Kansas City, Louisville, Tucson, Afghanistan, Memphis, Quantico, and Washington, D.C. Her FBI career culminated with promotion to Special Agent in Charge of two field offices and Executive Assistant Director over two branches at FBI headquarters. She resides in Louisville and holds a degree in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University.
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The Bluegrass Beat is recorded and produced by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Information Office, a proud member of Team Kentucky.
Like what you hear? We appreciate everyone who takes the time to subscribe and rate this podcast.
Have a suggestion? Email host Critley King-Smith at critley.kingsmith@ky.gov to share feedback.
Music by Music for Creators from Pixabay.‍ ‍

In this episode of Bluegrass Beat, host Critley King-Smith speaks with Pam Phipps, mother of Russell County Deputy Joshua Phipps, who was killed in the line of duty in 2024.
They reflect on Joshua’s life beyond the badge, who he was as a son, what led him to serve, and the legacy he leaves behind. Pam shares what it means to see her son honored on the National and Kentucky Law Enforcement memorials and speaks to the importance of remembering the men and women behind the names etched there.
This conversation also explores the difficult reality families face after loss, when public attention fades, but grief remains, and highlights the ways law enforcement agencies and communities can continue to support those left behind. It is a powerful and personal look at love, sacrifice, and the enduring impact of a life lived in service.

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation seeks to recognize all Kentucky peace officers who have given their lives in service to the commonwealth.
The memorial foundation was established in 1999 to build a monument recognizing Kentucky officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Once the monument was completed in 2000, the organization expanded its efforts to include an ongoing financial endowment program, which helps officers and their families with educational, medical and emergency needs. Kentucky’s Law Enforcement Memorial Monument holds the names of 599 men and women heroes who have died in the line of duty since 1845.
For more information, click here.
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The Bluegrass Beat is recorded and produced by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Information Office, a proud member of Team Kentucky.
Like what you hear? We appreciate everyone who takes the time to subscribe and rate this podcast.
Have a suggestion? Email host Critley King-Smith at critley.kingsmith@ky.gov to share feedback.
Music by Music for Creators from Pixabay.‍ ‍

Scams are evolving, and they’re costing Kentuckians millions.
In this episode, we hear from Department of Financial Institutions Information Officer Tasha Stewart and take a closer look at the Stop Scams Initiative led by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet and its new partnership with the Kentucky State Police to better equip law enforcement agencies across the commonwealth.
We discuss:
What the Stop Scams Initiative is and why it was created
How the partnership with the Kentucky State Police supports law enforcement across Kentucky
The types of resources now available to agencies
Common scams currently impacting Kentuckians
How officers can respond when encountering scam victims
Practical tips for the public to avoid becoming a victim
For more information about the Stops Scams initiative, follow this link.
The Bluegrass Beat is recorded and produced by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Information Office, a proud member of Team Kentucky.
Like what you hear? We appreciate everyone who takes the time to subscribe and rate this podcast.
Have a suggestion? Email host Critley King-Smith at critley.kingsmith@ky.gov to share feedback.
Music by Digital Juice and StackTraxx.

When a critical incident unfolds, law enforcement officers are often the first on scene, sometimes minutes before EMS can safely enter. In those moments, the ability to recognize and treat life-threatening injuries can mean the difference between life and death.
In this episode of Bluegrass Beat, Jason Mike, Tactics Section Supervisor and Critical Skills Instructor at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training, explains why tactical medicine has become an essential skill in modern policing.
Mike draws from his experience as an Army combat medic, Silver Star recipient, and former patrol and traffic officer to explain how officers can transition from threat engagement to lifesaving care under extreme stress. The conversation covers preventable trauma deaths, officer self-aid and buddy-aid, active shooter response, and the importance of realistic, data-driven training.
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About our Guest
Jason Mike, Tactics Section Supervisor
Jason Mike is the Tactics Section Supervisor with the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training. He joined DOCJT in 2018 after an extensive career spanning military service and civilian law enforcement.
A Radcliff, Kentucky native, Mike served as an Army combat medic, deploying to Iraq, where he was awarded the Silver Star for extraordinary valor during a large-scale ambush in 2005. Following his military service, he transitioned into law enforcement, serving with the Paris Police Department and later the Honolulu Police Department, where he worked patrol, traffic enforcement, impaired-driving enforcement and high-risk operations.
Now at DOCJT, Mike leads and instructs courses in tactical medicine, active shooter response, traffic stops, and building search, bringing real-world experience and data-driven training to officers across the commonwealth.
Read more about Jason Mike in Kentucky Law Enforcement magazine.
The Bluegrass Beat is recorded and produced by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s Public Information Office, a proud member of Team Kentucky.
Like what you hear? We appreciate everyone who takes the time to subscribe and rate this podcast.
Have a suggestion? Email host Critley King-Smith at critley.kingsmith@ky.gov to share feedback.
Music by Digital Juice and StackTraxx.