JASON LEVY
Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
YODER — Twenty-five new law enforcement officers including four from Harvey County and one from Hutchinson graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Sept. 30 at a ceremony held in the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.
Officer Brian Hampton of the Lansing Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Craig Dunlavy of the Newton Police Department. Michael Turenne, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 299th Basic Training Class.
Officer Jason Million of the Halstead Police Department received the Larry Welch Award for Academic Excellence. Officer Brandon Ward from the Newton Police Department received the Fitness Award for the most overall improvement while Officer Christian Tucker from the Dodge City Police Department was awarded the Fitness Medal for having the most miles completed. Deputy Victor Urbina of the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office was recognized for his firearms proficiency as the class “Top Shot.”
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 the University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.
The graduates, who began their training in June 2022, represented multiple municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.
Area graduates are listed below by county and agency:
Harvey County
· Jason Million, Halstead Police Department
· Willow Chesky, Harvey County Sheriff's Office
· Gavin Powell, Newton Police Department
· Brandon Ward, Newton Police Department
Pratt County
· Colton Odette, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Reno County
· Michael Fleming, Hutchinson Police Department
Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.