Trusted Conservative Leadership

Kenny Kavanaugh is a life-long resident of Clark County who was raised to appreciate the importance of serving the community. Kenny has over 32 years in law enforcement including 10 years as Jeffersonville Police Chief. Kenny and his wife, Lenae Guilfoyle Kavanaugh, instilled that same appreciation in their son, Jaylan Kavanaugh, who is a police officer.

Clark County Sheriff’s Office

Leslie Kenneth (Kenny) Kavanaugh Jr., started his career in corrections with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, where he started as a Jail Reserve Auxiliary Officer in June of 1993 for Sheriff Michael L. Becher and Chief Dean Marble. Jail Commander Captain Sam Beard, directly recruited Kenny, while Kenny was taking evening courses of Criminal Justice through Vincennes University at Clark County Sheriff’s Office. In September 1993, Kenny was hired full-time and assigned to 2nd Shift in the Clark County Jail working for Sheriff Becher.

Early spring in March of 1994, Kenny started the applicant examination process with the Jeffersonville Police Department with testing pursuing employment as a police officer. By late July Kenny began applicant recruit testing advancing to the final stages in September of 1994.

Jeffersonville Police Department

Kenny started his career swearing-in October 30, 1994, at the age of 22 years old with Jeffersonville Police Department. Kenny has served through (ALL) ranks, starting as a Patrolman for 3 ½ years. While assigned to uniform patrol in 1997, Kenny started pursuing street-level narcotics investigations communicating with Narcotics Detectives. Kenny started receiving special duty assignments to the Southern Indiana Drug Task Force and Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section.

Soon after, Kenny was promoted to the Detective Division at age 25, in June 1998 and assigned to the Southern Indiana Drug Task Force for local, state and federal assignments for approximately 10 years as a Narcotics Detective. Corporal and Seargent rank promotions occurred while serving in the Detective Division.

Kenny has served in Command at Jeffersonville PD since 2004 beginning as a Seargent. Additionally, serving as a Patrol Lieutenant for 8 months in January of 2008 and then returned to Command in September of 2008 taking his first tour as Patrol Commander with the JPD Nightshift and then transitioning to 2nd Shift Patrol Commander, prior to becoming Chief of Police in Spring 2015.

Kenny was a member of the JPD SWAT Team for 13 years, also serving in the role and capacity of SWAT Team Commander for 3 years. Kenny has held temporary duty assignments such as: FBI SafeStreets Task Force, along with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration - Louisville Office accepting special duty assignments as a Narcotics Detective. Kenny served as a part-time Investigator for Jeffersonville Housing Authority working with Community Policing and Drug Elimination Federal Programming from November 1998 -2016.

Kenny served as Chief of Police from March 16, 2015, through August 22, 2025, and a member of Indiana Association of Chief’s of Police serving as an Executive Board Member for 3 years ending January 2026. Kenny is an ILEA General Training Instructor, also currently serving and retained as a member of the DOJ FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (INDY) as an Executive Law Enforcement Member.

Education and Training

Kenny is a Jeffersonville High School graduate class of 1990. Kenny graduated the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) 95-120, U.S. D.E.A. Basic (98’) Eastern Kentucky University, The Institute of Police Technology Management (IPTM) University of North Florida Crime Scene Management, National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Tactical Commander Course Kent State University, University of Louisville SPI Homicide Investigator Course, UofL Southern Police Institute 140th Session Administrative Officers Course Graduate, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Session (LEEDS #80 -2022), along with Ivy Tech Community College in Criminal Justice Degree. March of 2020, Kenny completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice at Purdue Global University.

Family

Kenny and his wife Lenae Guilfoyle Kavanaugh have been married for 29 years, and they have one son, Jaylan, 29, and wife Hayley Thurman Kavanaugh. Jaylan is a Jeffersonville Police Officer of 7 years since 2019, who served in the Indiana National Guardsman with the 384th MP Company as an MP and Company C, 2-134th IN Airborne Infantryman and graduating IU Southeast.

Kenny’s Parents Les and Thressa Kavanaugh are Jeffersonville retired residents with Les being a retired Major Jeffersonville Fire Department (01/01/1966 – 06/1992) and Clark County Emergency Management as EMA Director (2007-2018). Thressa retired from Duke Energy after 31 years in Clarksville Office. Kenny’s sister Dawn Kavanaugh Krabbe and husband Dave Krabbe have two children Blake 26, Donovan 20.