TCC instructor and former sheriff Ken Katsaris is still molding young officers

October 26, 2016

Ken Katsaris was in his early 20s when Tallahassee Junior College’s first president, Fred Turner, tapped him to start a criminal justice education program at the new college in 1966. In the years that followed, Katsaris built the program from scratch, sending many students on to Florida State University and other universities and into law enforcement departments throughout the South.

In 1970, Tallahassee Junior College became Tallahassee Community College. Katsaris chaired the criminal justice program until 1977. While in that role, he set up the region’s first teaching crime lab, which was based at TCC and used by police agencies for preliminary analysis. He even served as campus security director.

Photo from 1970s of former sheriff and dive team

Katsaris left the program in 1977 after being elected sheriff of Leon County. One notable case Katsaris handled was the murder investigation that resulted in the conviction of serial rapist and murderer Ted Bundy in 1979.

“Obviously I was very motivated to work the case. I had two young daughters at home, and I just vowed that this person would be stopped,” said Katsaris. “I put everything, my heart and soul and skills, to work on it, and together with a big team of people we came up with leads, a person and eventually a conviction. The state attorneys handling the case worked it very well. The law enforcement officers worked it very well.”

While sheriff, Katsaris continued to teach part-time at the Florida Highway Patrol Academy and at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy. After leaving office in 1981, Katsaris served briefly as assistant to the director of Florida’s prison system before setting out on his own. Since then, he has been highly sought after as a consultant on police and jail policy and procedures.

Katsaris says he is the only person in the U.S. who has been retained as a police litigation consultant in all 50 states. He also leads seminars for law enforcement professionals on topics such as street survival and critical incident response. Katsaris is still a fully sworn member of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

Ken Katsaris teaching basic recruits in classroomThroughout the extensive travel and high-profile cases, Katsaris has retained his passion for teaching basic recruits who have just been hired as officers or are looking for their first job. He is currently teaching basic recruits at Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy, which is now part of TCC. He also trains experienced law enforcement professionals to serve as instructors themselves.

“I enjoy sharing the process and procedures of law enforcement. I remember saying many times, ‘I can’t believe they are paying me to do this.’”

In fact, TCC is not paying Katsaris. Since 1999, he has chosen to teach at the academy without pay.

“Because I travel a lot, I can’t participate in a community service organization. This is my community service.”

Katsaris shows no sign of leaving the classroom any time soon. He says the recruits are just as enthusiastic and committed as they ever were. “They really want to learn, and that makes a big difference. That’s the motivating force for me.”