About
Dr. Barry Denton retired December 31st, 2012, from the Louisville Metro Police Department. He retired as a Sergeant and was the Commander of the department's Bomb Squad. He started his career in law enforcement in 1991 with the Jefferson County Police Department where he was a patrolman, domestic violence detective, and district resource/crime prevention officer. In 2003, the Jefferson County Police and the Louisville Division of Police merged into what is now the Louisville Metro Police Department. In that same year, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As a commanding officer, Dr. Denton served as the Assistant Commander of the Community Relations Division, Commander of Recruitment and Selection and Assistant Commander of the Traffic Unit. He was also a team leader for the Louisville Joint Emergency Services Unit. Dr. Denton is a medal of honor recipient, a three-time medal of valor recipient, received three merit awards, one life-saving award, the purple heart and three meritorious unit citations. In addition, he was awarded the Jefferson County Judge Executive's Millennium Award in 2000 for his work in domestic violence prevention.
Upon retirement, Dr. Denton served as the Executive Director of the Louisville Metro Police Foundation and the Spencer County Sheriff's Office where he served as a Major. In 2019, Dr. Denton joined the University of Louisville Department of Criminal Justice as an Assistant Professor until 2023 when he transitioned to Senior Lecturer 1 when he moved to Naples, FL.
Dr. Denton received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in Police Administration from the University of Louisville. Dr. Denton obtained a second master's degree in Homeland Security from the American Military Institute. In 2017, Dr. Denton obtained his doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from Spalding University. Dr. Denton is a graduate from the Southern Police Institutes Administrative Officers Course and the Department of Criminal Justice Training School of Strategic Leadership.
Dr. Denton's free time is spending time with his wife, Julie, of twenty-three years, volunteering at his church, Grow Church located in Naples, FL, and serving as the National Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.