MADISONVILLE, Ky. (WFIE) – $2.5 million is coming to Madisonville thanks to some federal funding announced by Senator Mitch McConnell.
The money will be used for equipment at a new cybercrime training facility being developed there.
Officials say the facility will be the largest police training academy in the Commonwealth and will focus specifically on cybercrime.
“This represents a major step forward for public safety in Madisonville and across the region,” said Mayor Kevin Cotton. “A state-of-the-art regional cyber-crime lab will equip our law enforcement partners with the tools, technology, and training needed to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and protect our citizens in the digital age, while also strengthening collaboration across jurisdictions and position our city as a regional leader in cyber-crime prevention and investigation.”
Madisonville Police Department currently has a small group of detectives certified in digital forensics.
One of them, Detective Dan Morck, says they extract data from about 150 phones a year.
With the boom of new technology and internet crimes, he says the work is expanding quickly.
“We’re really outgrowing this space, due to how many phones, and we’d like to get into more computers and other types of devices,” Morck says.
Officials say policing has become much more complex in recent years with things like AI software and online currency on the rise, and they need to be prepared.
“It’s one of those things, you try to future-proof yourself,” Major Jason McKnight said. “Again, you’re always gonna have report writing, you’re always gonna have driving, you’re always gonna have shooting, all those things that come along with law enforcement. But we’ve already got to this point where, before, when I started this, everybody had a Razor flip phone. That’s a complete thing of the past. And now, as phone models are getting more and more advanced, it’s getting more and more complicated to look at them.”
Police say the new center could be one of the largest police training facilities in the Commonwealth
“This facility is gonna go a long way towards getting training for officers,” Major McKnight said. “Not just our officers, but everybody in the region can go there and hopefully get this updated training and/or bring their stuff to there so they can get it looked at.”
This is part of $540 million in funding announced for several projects in Kentucky.
Senator McConnell says it’s included through FY 2026 appropriations for Commerce-Justice-Science; Interior–Environment; and Energy-Water, which passed the Senate Thursday.
“Cyber-crime is one of the fastest-growing threats facing communities today, and this $2.5 million investment allows Madisonville to stay ahead of the curve. With support from Senator Mitch McConnell’s office, this regional cyber-crime lab will deliver cutting-edge capabilities that enhance safety for residents, businesses, and local governments throughout the region,” said Madisonville Police Chief Steve Bryan.
The measure now goes to President Trump to be signed into law.
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