University of Kansas selects Darin Beck as New Executive Director of Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
LAWRENCE, KS (May 24, 2018) – The University of Kansas announced today Darin Beck is the next executive director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC). The state headquarters for law enforcement training, KLETC develops and delivers basic training and continuing education for police officers, sheriff’s deputies and others.
“Because of the critical role KLETC serves for the residents of Kansas and its law enforcement community, we knew we had to find another strong, dedicated and progressive leader,” said Dave Cook, vice chancellor for the KU Edwards Campus, which includes KU Professional & Continuing Education and KLETC. “Fortunately, Darin is just that person and already has 18 years of experience at KLETC.”
Beck was first employed by KLETC in 1999 and is now the associate director. He earned bachelor’s degrees in math and business from Wichita State, a Master of Education in Adult Education from Newman University and a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University. Beck also graduated from the Command and General Staff College of the U.S. Army. He has taught middle school and college courses in Kansas and served as a municipal and military attorney. A sign of his commitment, Beck is currently an officer or member of nine law enforcement-related professional associations including the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriff’s Association and the Kansas Peace Officers Association, of which he is a past president. He is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps.
“In my opinion, there’s no single position out there with greater potential to impact society and deal with issues affecting all of us on a day-to-day basis,” said Beck. “As the KLETC executive director, I get to support the people who serve Kansas communities.”
On June 17, Beck becomes just the fourth leader of KLETC in its 50-year history. The executive director position opened and the search process began following the retirement announcement of Ed Pavey who served in the role for the last 23 years.
The position also carries the responsibility by state statute of director of Kansas police training, a state officer, and serves as an ex officio member of the Kansas Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training.
“It’s overwhelming to accept the position of such statewide importance. The process itself included a one-on-one conversation with Chancellor Girod to lay out a vision for the KLETC campus,” said Beck. “It’s a challenge to follow Ed after his 28 years at KLETC. His name is synonymous with KLETC. He’s left us with a strong reputation, staff, mission and operations. We are positioned to continue KLETC’s momentum of progress and service.”
In fiscal year 2017, KLETC graduated 394 new officers from basic training and delivered continuing education to 9,979 participants. KLETC is located on a 173-acre site in Yoder, Kansas. It has 51 staff members on the a 15-building campus including 63-room and 54-room residence halls with 231 beds, state-of-the-art electronic training simulators and a 1.78-mile driving course.
About the University of Kansas Professional & Continuing Education
KU Professional & Continuing Education supports the teaching, research and public service missions of the University, contributing to postgraduate professional education, workforce development, distance learning and quality of life for Kansans and worldwide communities. Other programming within Professional & Continuing Education includes Professional Programs, Aerospace Short Courses, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute. Combined, these programs teach more than 30,000 individuals a year in every county in Kansas, across the United States and internationally. It is headquartered at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, Kansas.
About the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968 as the central law enforcement training facility for our state, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) serves as the headquarters for all law enforcement training in Kansas. Located at the former naval air station south of Hutchinson and west of Yoder in Reno County, Kansas, the Center’s mission, as expressed in the Law Enforcement Training Act, K.S.A. 74-5601 et. seq. is “the promotion and development of improved law enforcement personnel and procedures throughout the state, and the training center shall offer to qualified applicants such programs and courses of instruction designed to fulfill this end.” KLETC directly trains the overwhelming majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas, and oversees, supervises and monitors the training of the remaining officers at eight authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
