Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center Graduates 278th Basic Training Class

Twenty-three new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on May 21st at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

Nicholas Delaney, a deputy at the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, was the class president for the 278th Basic Training Class. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief of Police for the Pratt Police Department, Nathan Humble. James Buettgenbach, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator for the 278th Basic Training Class.

Deputy Jacoby Williams of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office was recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class’ “Top Shot”. Deputy Jimmy Golden of the Gray County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Daniel Everhart of the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office walked, ran, or biked more than 200 miles during their time at KLETC and exceeded the other physical requirements of the 200 Mile Club including push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed run.

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 January 2021, represented 17 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

DOUGLAS 

• Dallas Hunt – University of Kansas Police Department

ELLIS

• John Zimmer – Hays Police Department

FORD

• David Brandt – Dodge City Police Department
• Cisco Soto – Dodge City Police Department

GRAY

• Jimmy Golden – Gray County Sheriff’s Office

HAMILTON

• Kevin Reed – Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

JEWELL

• Jeremy Luedke – Jewell County Sheriff’s Office

LABETTE

• Gabriel Vitt – Labette County Sheriff’s Office

PAWNEE

• Nicholas Delaney – Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office

PHILLIPS

• Matthew Blair – Phillips County Sheriff’s Office

POTTAWATOMIE

• Francis Schiavo – Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office

PRATT

• Nicholas Allen – Pratt Police Department
• Clark Besthorn – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism
• Jack Gerler – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism
• Zachary Porterfield – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism

SALINE

• Conner Gies – Saline County Sheriff’s Office
• William Hill – Saline County Sheriff’s Office
• Jacoby Williams – Saline County Sheriff’s Office

SUMNER

• Jeff Miller – Sumner County Sheriff’s Office

THOMAS

• Lucas Taylor – Colby Police Department

TREGO

• Michael DeCore – Trego County Sheriff’s Office

WYANDOTTE

• Jason Hughey – Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office
• Daniel Everhart – Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office