Release from University of Kansas
HUTCHINSON — Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers, including three from Reno County agencies, graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Feb. 26 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
Deputy Luke Davis of the Gray County Sheriff’s Office was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Nelson Mosley of the Rose Hill Police Department. Mike Satterlee, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 274th Basic Training Class.
Officer Samantha Snell of the Galena Police Department was recognized by KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck and awarded a KLETC Certificate of Commendation for her actions in the performance of her duties. Snell, along with Officer Logan Grant of the Galena Police Department, risked their lives on Jan. 18 in an attempt to save victims of a fiery two-vehicle head-on crash. Grant will be recognized when he graduates March 19.
Jonathon Dunfee of the Kansas City Public Schools Police Department was also recognized during the ceremony 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 University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.
The graduates, who began their training in October 2020, represented 23 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. The three Reno County officers are Michael Mendez and Adam Scalisi from the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and Camron Hurley from the Hutchinson Police Department.