KLETC Announces 259th Law Enforcement Training Graduating Class

YODER (Dec. 4, 2019) – Twenty-two new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Nov. 22, 2019. Chief Jeffrey Hooper, of the Hutchinson Police Department, was the speaker for the ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

The new officers were members of the 259th 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 August 19, 2019, represented 21 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.

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

Fort Scott Police Department; Logan Woods; Patrol Officer; Fort Scott

Cherokee County

Columbus Police Department; Preston Hosier; patrol officer; Columbus

Crawford County

Pittsburg Police Department; Jesse Spencer; patrol officer; Pittsburg

Finney County

Finney County Sheriff’s Office; Kevin Chalmers; deputy; Garden City

Gray County

Gray County Sheriff’s Office; Michael Bradley; deputy; Cimarron

Harper County

Harper County Sheriff’s Department; Christopher Sanders; deputy; Anthony

Miami County

Miami County Sheriff’s Department; Austin Jones; deputy; Paola

Miami County Sheriff’s Department; Toni Towler; deputy; Paola

Morton County

Morton County Sheriff’s Department; Craig Harrington; deputy; Elkhart

Neosho County

Neosho County Sheriff’s Department; Kevin Carr; deputy; Erie

Reno County

Hutchinson Police Department; Jesse Jones; patrol officer; Hutchinson

Hutchinson Police Department; David Mancillas; patrol officer; Hutchinson

Hutchinson Police Department; Hunter Ogburn; patrol officer; Hutchinson

Saline County

Salina Police Department; Blake Denton; patrol officer; Salina