Former Kentucky State Police commissioner clarifies ‘intended purpose’ of Hitler quotes
Former Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer said people misunderstood the “intended purpose” of using Adolf Hitler quotes in state police training material, according to a letter obtained by WKYT, the Herald-Leader’s reporting partner.
Brewer resigned this week after the state began investigating state police training materials. The investigation was prompted when a report emerged that a training PowerPoint used once by state police included quotes from Adolf Hitler and other historical figures about being a “ruthless killer.”
“The presentation quickly went viral without an opportunity for the agency to frame the context in which it was used,” Brewer said in the letter. “The intended purpose was to underscore the importance of a strong moral barometer amongst cadets and the dangers of being swayed by outside influences.”
Gov. Andy Beshear asked for his resignation as a result of the report, Brewer said in the letter. His resignation took effect Wednesday. His letter was sent to state troopers the day before his resignation, according to WKYT. Beshear had repeatedly called the training material “unacceptable.”
“In retrospect, better examples could have been utilized with greater clarification as to its intended purpose,” Brewer said in the letter. “I was unaware of its existence until it surfaced through an open records request several days ago.”
Beshear, on Tuesday, said the state found more training material with similar information.
“We have identified at least one other PowerPoint that appears to contain some of the same information from the same trainer,” Beshear said during a Tuesday press conference. “We have not yet been able to determine whether it is a different version, whether it was provided at a different time — we want to make sure we get answers to all of those questions.”
The initial report said that state police training materials used several years ago included quotes from Hitler and Robert E. Lee, among other historical figures. Some of the quotes encouraged violence. That story was originally reported by the Manual RedEye, the student newspaper at duPont Manual High School in Louisville.
The training materials included a slideshow titled “The Warrior Mindset.” It featured a quote from Hitler’s Mein Kampf: “The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence.”
“It is always more difficult to fight against faith than against knowledge,” states another quote attributed to Hitler in the PowerPoint presentation that the student newspaper posted online. The presentation also advised trainees to become a “ruthless killer.”
Brewer added in the letter that he thought state police had high-quality training.
“Anyone who knows anything about the Kentucky State Police knows the quality and content of our training,” he said. “To insinuate that we condone violence or glorify the dogma of past dictators is absurd.”
This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 10:24 AM.