KLETC Announces 252nd Law Enforcement Training Graduating Class


Fifty-seven new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Oct. 12. This class set the record for number of women in a KLETC basic training class.

Police car with lights on

YODER (Oct. 19, 2018) – Fifty-seven new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Oct. 12. Overland Park Police Chief Frank Donchez was the speaker for the ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

The new officers were members of the 252nd basic training class at the center. Located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, the center is a division of University of Kansas Professional & Continuing Education.

The graduates, who began their training July 9, 2018, represented 38 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. The Hutchinson News and Wichita’s KWCH 12’s recently shared the news of KLETC’s record number of women in its 252nd basic training class.

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, the center 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. The center offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year.

Graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by agency.

Bourbon County
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department; Kyle Adams; deputy; Fort Scott

Butler County
Andover Police Department; Joseph Hardy; patrol officer; Andover

Cloud County
Cloud County Sheriff’s Department; James Wilson; deputy; Concordia

Cowley County
Arkansas City Police Department; Madeline Pegorsch; deputy; Arkansas City

Decatur County
Oberlin Police Department; Randy Brink; patrol officer; Oberlin

Douglas County
University of Kansas Police Department; Elizabeth Cruz; patrol officer; Lawrence

Ellis County
Hays Police Department; Kyle Comstock; patrol officer; Hays

Finney County
Garden City Police Department; Mason Lobmeyer; patrol officer; Garden City
Garden City Police Department; Gabriel Luna; patrol officer; Garden City

Geary County
Geary County Sheriff’s Department; Cayla Da Giau; deputy; Junction City
Geary County Sheriff’s Department; Corrie Shoemake; deputy; Junction City

Hamilton County
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office; William Roberts; deputy; Syracuse

Leavenworth County
Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office; Brandon Adams; deputy; Leavenworth
Leavenworth Police Department; Daniel Grijalva; patrol officer; Leavenworth

Logan County
Oakley Police Department; James Geist; patrol officer; Oakley

Lyon County
Emporia Police Department; Timothy Herrel; patrol officer; Emporia

McPherson County
McPherson Police Department; Leslie Caballero; deputy; McPherson
McPherson Police Department; Jon Yates; patrol officer; McPherson

Montgomery County
Independence Police Department; John Anderson; patrol officer; Independence
Cherryvale Police Department; Logan Waun; patrol officer; Cherryvale

Norton County
Norton Police Department; Crystal Richard; patrol officer; Norton

Osage County
Osage County Sheriff’s Office; Clayton Hartpence; deputy; Lyndon
Osage County Sheriff’s Office; Bryon Virtue; deputy; Lyndon

Pratt County
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Lucas Arnold; Natural Resource Officer; Pratt
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Evan Deneke; Natural Resource Officer; Pratt
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Kelly Lazar; Natural Resource Officer; Pratt
Pratt County Sheriff’s Department; Justin Seaman; deputy; Pratt
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Clayton Swanson; Natural Resource Officer; Pratt

Reno County
Hutchinson Police Department; Enrique Garcia; patrol officer; Hutchinson
Buhler Police Department; Jeremie Rancier; patrol officer, Buhler
Hutchinson Police Department; Enrique Rodriguez; patrol officer; Hutchinson

Rooks County
Stockton Police Department; Thomas Lee Ivey; patrol officer; Stockton

Saline County
Salina Police Department; Joseph Barton; patrol officer; Salina
Salina Police Department; Jesse Christmas; patrol officer; Salina
Salina Police Department; Jessica Cook; patrol officer; Salina
Saline County Sheriff’s Office; Matthew Nelson; deputy; Salina

Sedgwick County
Wichita State University Police Department; Matthew Blades; patrol officer; Wichita
Wichita State University Police Department; Rodney Clark; patrol officer; Wichita
Wichita State University Police Department; Miranda Hejny; patrol officer; Wichita

Shawnee County
Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; Zachary Holmes; deputy; Topeka
Kansas Bureau of Investigation; Randi Johnson; special agent; Topeka
Topeka Public Schools Police Department; Megan Kirby; patrol officer; Topeka
Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; Trevor LaFarge; deputy; Topeka
Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; Devin Maxwell; deputy; Topeka

Sherman County
Goodland Police Department; Nichole Stegman; patrol officer; Goodland

Trego County
WaKeeney Police Department; Michael David; patrol officer; WaKeeney

Wyandotte County
University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department; Jillian Bentley; patrol officer; Kansas City
Kansas City Kansas Community College Police; Brandon Disney; patrol officer; Kansas City
University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department; Javonte Jones; patrol officer; Kansas City
Kansas City Kansas Community College Police; Cody Eugene Martin; patrol officer; Kansas City
University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department; Matthew Rystrom; patrol officer; Kansas City

Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center

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