‘RUTHLESS KILLERS’

High School Paper Busts Kentucky State Police for Using Hitler Quotes in Trainings Until 2013

A spokesperson for the Kentucky State Police declined to condemn or apologize for the inclusion of the quotes.

The Manual RedEye, the student newspaper at duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky, reported Friday that the Kentucky State Police intentionally used quotes from Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf in training materials for new officers until 2013. A local attorney had obtained a state police slide deck via discovery in a lawsuit over a police shooting and shared the material with the paper. One slide reads, “The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence.” The quote originates from Mein Kampf. The same slide reportedly urges officers to become “ruthless killers” and cultivate “a mindset void of emotion.”

Another featuring a Hitler quote links to a description of the anti-Semitic fascist manifesto. Lieutenant Joshua Lawson, a spokesperson for the KSP, told the paper, “The quotes are used for their content and relevance to the topic addressed in the presentation. The presentation touches on several aspects of service, selflessness, and moral guidance.” He neither condemned nor apologized for their inclusion, according to a screenshot of his email included in the article. Morgan Hall, the Communications Director for the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Morgan Hall, told the RedEye, “It is unacceptable that this material was ever included in the training of law enforcement. Our administration does not condone the use of this material. The material is not currently a part of any training materials and was removed in 2013.”