Patrol is also where every officer begins their career with the Kenton County Police by being placed in the Field Training Program:
- A new recruit is placed under the supervision of the field training coordinator within patrol. The field training coordinator ensures the new recruit is prepared for the 20 week police academy and is their primary contact within the agency while the recruit is at the academy.
- The academy is located in Richmond, Kentucky and is ran by the Department of Criminal Justice Training for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
- Once the recruit graduates the academy they must then complete the 14 week field training program. The field training program involves working patrol with a Field Training Officer while building on what they learned at the academy.
- Recruits are evaluated daily and tested weekly to ensure they are learning the skills needed to serve the residents of Kenton County. They also must complete a two week final evaluation period being evaluated by a training officer who still rides with them but the recruit is expected to work as a solo officer.
- Once a recruit completes their final evaluation they are assigned as a solo patrol officer. Since Patrol responds to a variety of calls, this provides new recruits the chance to continue learning while discovering what aspects of law enforcement they enjoy before pursuing specialty assignments.
- Certified lateral police officers are placed into a modified Field Training Program.