KLETC announces launch of Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program

The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) serves as the facilitator of the new voluntary Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (KLEAP) to be launched state wide on December 1, 2022. Since 1968, KLETC has served as the headquarters for all law enforcement training in Kansas and is a unit of the University of Kansas (KU). This unique association with KU, a major research institution, allows KLETC to leverage the strength and resources of an AAU research university to better educate and train students. KLETC’s statutory mission is “the promotion and development of improved law enforcement personnel and procedures throughout the state.

In 2021, KLETC applied for and was awarded a grant through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) with the goal of establishing a voluntary state level accreditation program for law enforcement agencies in Kansas. At the time of application, Kansas was one of only 14 states that did not have a state-level law enforcement accreditation program.

In February 2022, nine members were appointed to the Kansas Accreditation Council (KAC), the guiding body for KLEAP. KAC members were appointed by the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP) and the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association (KSA) and represent a geographically diverse range of agencies of all sizes.  KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck appointed one additional council member from a law enforcement agency not led by a sheriff or municipal chief of police, as a member-at-large. Two remaining council members are permanent appointments from KLETC staff, are nonvoting members, and are not eligible to hold the seats of Chair or Vice Chair.  

Accreditation strengthens the professionalism of law enforcement and encourages transparency with the communities they serve. It is also a time-proven means for helping agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. KLEAP is designed to be meaningful, obtainable, and affordable for any Kansas law enforcement agency. The KLEAP standards, the fee schedule, and a multitude of resources for Kansas agencies is available on the KLEAP website. Additionally, FREE on-going training is provided to any Kansas agency desiring to participate.

Twelve (12) agencies have enrolled in KLEAP participating as beta test agencies or early starters. KLEAP’s goal is to increase the number of Kansas law enforcement agencies that elect to participate in a voluntary accreditation program. The KLEAP vision is “to be a compass on the journey towards law enforcement excellence in Kansas.” Accreditation offers many benefits, such as lower insurance rates and reduced liability and susceptibility to lawsuits. It sends a message to communities that their law enforcement agency is committed to excellence.

Enrollment Open Now - Contact:
Suellyn Hooper, Program Manager | Email: kleap@kletc.org 
Phone: 620-694-1549 | Cell: 785-341-0103

Darin Beck
Executive Director, Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
Director of Police Training, State of Kansas

This project was supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number 15JCOPS-21-GK-02540-SPPS awarded to the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CENTER FOR RESEARCH, INC. by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s), contributors, or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.