Candidate Connection to Federal Law Officer – Honoring His Father

Jeff Jobe
Community Publisher
Barren County Progress/JPI

GLASGOW — A candidate for Glasgow City Council carries with him a family legacy of public service that has been recognized nationally through federal legislation honoring his father.

Jeff Proffitt, who is seeking election to the Glasgow City Council, is the son of the late Herbert “Sprocket” Proffitt, a longtime Kentucky law enforcement officer whose life and service were recognized through the passage of the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025.

Herbert Proffitt served more than five decades in law enforcement and was widely known in the region for his dedication to public safety. He served as police chief in Tompkinsville and spent 55 years working in law enforcement before retiring.

In 2012, several years after his retirement, Proffitt was shot and killed at his home by a man he had previously arrested. Because the incident occurred after his retirement, his family was initially denied federal line-of-duty death benefits that are typically provided to families of fallen officers.
The case drew national attention and eventually led to legislation designed to correct the gap in federal law.

The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025, sponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by Kentucky Congressman Andy Barr, expanded eligibility for federal Public Safety Officers’ Benefits so that families of retired law enforcement officers can receive benefits if the officer is targeted because of actions taken while serving in law enforcement.

The legislation was later passed by Congress and signed into law, allowing families in similar circumstances to receive benefits that were previously unavailable.

Jeff Proffitt’s campaign for Glasgow City Council brings that story of public service and sacrifice closer to home for many voters in the Barren County community.

Supporters say the legacy of his father’s service has helped shape his commitment to community involvement and civic leadership.

As the city council race develops, Proffitt’s candidacy adds a personal connection to a story that has already become part of Kentucky’s law enforcement history.