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By JASON LEVY
KLETC
Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on April 29 in a ceremony held at the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.
Officer Robert Garland of the Andover Police Department was the class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Rick Lockhart of the Lawrence Police Department. KLETC Senior Police Instructor Steve McCorkill was the class coordinator for the 292nd Basic Training Class.
Officer Garland Officer was awarded the Physical Fitness Medal for having the best overall improvement in push-ups, sit-ups, and the 1.5-mile run, as well as for running the most miles. Officers Mason Dyck of the Moundridge Police Department and James Smathers of the Lawrence Police Department were added to the Director’s Honor Roll. Officer Smathers also received the Welch Academic Award for Academic Excellence. Officer Dyck was recognized at the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the “Top Shot” of the class. Officers Nicholas Martinez of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Christian Rivas of the Great Bend Police Department were both inducted into the KLETC 200 Mile Club.
Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, the licensing authority of Kansas. state law enforcement. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training. Classroom lectures and practical 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 KLETC trains the majority of Kansas municipal, county, and state law enforcement officers and oversees the training of the remaining officers through seven law enforcement programs. Authorized and certified academies run by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol. .
About 300 officers enroll in KLETC’s 14-week basic training programs each year. KLETC provides continuing education and specialized training to more than 10,000 Kansas agents each year. KLETC is located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, and is a division of the University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.
The graduates, who began training in January 2022, represented multiple municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies throughout Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:
BUTLER COUNTY
Robert Garland – Andover Police Department
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
Manuel Arica Zambrano – Sedan Police Station
CHEYENNE COUNTY
Troy Zweygardt – Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office
COWLEY COUNTY
Dylan Kettenbach – Arkansas Police Department
Otey Spiers – Arkansas Police Department
DICKINSON COUNTY
Colton Barton – Chapman Police Department
DOUGLAS COUNTY
James Smathers – Lawrence Police Department
JEWELERY COUNTY
Brandon Keeker – Jewell County Sheriff’s Office
Isaiah Tippin – Jewell County Sheriff’s Office
JOHNSON COUNTY
James Fallin – Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
LYON COUNTY
Aaron Eckdahl – Emporia Police Department
Martin Orozco – Emporia Police Department
MCPHERSON COUNTY
Mason Dyck – Moundridge Police Department
Barton Miller – McPherson Police Department
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Stephen Conley – Cherryvale Police Department
OSAGE COUNTY
Fality Garner – Carbondale Police Department
Phillip Shepard – Osage County Sheriff’s Office
PRATT COUNTY
Noah Fiechtl – Pratt Police Department
RENO COUNTY
Mason Cooper – Hutchinson Police Department
Chance Gorges – Reno County Sheriff’s Office
SEDWICK COUNTY
Chance Corsair – Park City Police Department
Judah Kidd – Park City Police Department
Elisha Tobin – Derby Police Department
SHAWNEE COUNTY
Anthony Cooper – MTAA Police and Fire Department
WILSON COUNTY
Kevin Chandler – Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
WYANDOTTE COUNTY
Derik Ehlert – University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
Matthew Woodrell – University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
