Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center Graduates 269th Basic Training Class
Twenty-two new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on October 9th at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
James Murphy of the Ellis Police Department was the graduating class president. Michael Turenne, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police and Class Coordinator for the 269th Basic Training Class, was the speaker for the ceremony.
Gage Wilson of the Clay Center Police Department walked, ran, or biked more than 200 miles during his time at KLETC and was honored as a member of the 200 Mile Club. Joshua Price of the Herington Police Department was recognized as the class’ “Top Shot”.
Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement licensing authority. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training. Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in the line of duty.
Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, KLETC trains the majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas and oversees the training of the remaining officers at seven authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC 14-week basic training programs. KLETC offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year. KLETC is located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, and is a division of University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.
The graduates, who began their training in July 2020, represented 19 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by county and agency:
Allen
- Seth Pollet - Allen County Sheriff’s Office
- Joseph Stotler - Allen County Sheriff’s Office
- Elijah Farran - Iola Police Department
Chautauqua
- Esiquio Avalos - Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office
Clay
- Gage Wilson - Clay Center Police Department
Crawford
- Jesse Snider - Crawford County Sheriff’s Office
Dickinson
- Joshua Price - Herington Police Department
Doniphan
- Rachel Hirtler - Elwood Police Department
Ellis
- Ty McCulloch - Ellis County Sheriff’s Office
- James Murphy - Ellis Police Department
Franklin
- Anthony Dougan - Ottawa Police Department
- Roy Larson - Ottawa Police Department
Geary
- Belinda Gatlin - Grandview Plaza Police Department
Jackson
- Tanner Lemery - Prairie Band Pottawatomi Tribal Police
Linn
- Barbara Cochran - Pleasanton Police Department
Miami
- Mason Lamb - Louisburg Police Department
- Justin Lewis - Miami County Sheriff’s Office
Nemaha
- Baxter Defore - Seneca Police Department
Sedgwick
- Lindsy Eash - Mulvane Police Department
Sumner
- Brett Sarchet - Belle Plaine Police Department
Thomas
- Alicia Gines - Colby Police Department
Wilson
- Matthew Walker - Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
About the University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education
KU Lifelong & Professional 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 Lifelong & Professional 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.
