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Ex-Kentucky State Police Commissioner Tries to Justify Hitler Quotes Used in New Officer Trainings Until 2013

The former commissioner said news of his department’s use of Adolf Hitler quotes in trainings lacked “context” about its “intended purpose.”

The Kentucky State Police’s former commissioner attempted to justify the use of quotes from Adolf Hitler in his force’s training materials in a letter published Wednesday. The quotes—one from Mein Kampf and another urging officers to be “ruthless killers”—were part of a presentation shown to new officers until 2013. The former commissioner, Rodney Brewer, resigned earlier this week as the state began investigating the materials. Brewer wrote in a letter, “The presentation quickly went viral without an opportunity for the agency to frame the context in which it was used. The intended purpose was to underscore the importance of a strong moral barometer amongst cadets and the dangers of being swayed by outside influences.” A Louisville high school paper, duPont Manual High School’s Manual RedEye, originally reported the story of the quotes’ inclusion. Brewer continued, “In retrospect, better examples could have been utilized with greater clarification as to its intended purpose.” He said he was unaware of the quotes until the story broke.