Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center graduates 284th Basic Training Class


HUTCHINSON — Twenty-four new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Oct. 22 at a ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center 284th graduating class.Officer Justin Atchison of the Wellsville Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Jeff Hooper, chief of police for the Hutchinson Police Department. James Buettgenbach, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 284th Basic Training Class.

Deputy Francisco Guerrero of the Meade County Sheriff’s Office was honored with KLETC’s Fitness Award. Officer Justin Dutcher of the Sac & Fox Tribal Police Department was also recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class “Top Shot.”

Darin BeckGraduates 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 July 2021, represented 19 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

Brown

  • Justin Dutcher, Sac & Fox Tribal Police Department

Butler

  • Neil Kline, Andover Police Department
  • James Nelson, Andover Police Department
  • Barbara Altier-Riera, El Dorado Police Department

Cherokee

  • Saul Farfan-Ulloa, Columbus Police Department

Coffey

  • Alliccia Breeze, Coffey County Sheriff's Office

Crawford

  • Seirra Roberts, Arma Police Department

Douglas

  • John Matthews, Eudora Police Department

Ellis

  • Erin Lokke, Hays Police Department

Finney

  • Crystal Lopez, Finney County Sheriff’s Office
  • Edwardo Valdez, Garden City Police Department
  • Randy Cole, Garden City Police Department
  • Jacob Erickson, Garden City Police Department

Franklin

  • Justin Atchison, Wellsville Police Department

Jackson

  • Maverick Ohlde, Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police

Lyon

  • Collin Brozek, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office

Meade

  • Francisco Guerrero, Meade County Sheriff’s Office

Pratt

  • Dennis Zoglmann, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Reno

  • Dalton Leonard, Hutchinson Police Department
  • Stephen Jackson, Hutchinson Police Department

Riley

  • Jennifer Pepe, Riley County Police Department
  • Gage Whitmore, Riley County Police Department

Trego

  • Liam Kieft, WaKeeney Police Department

Wilson

  • Louis Cottrell-D’Esposito, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Top right photo: The 284th Basic Training Class recites the Law Enforcement Oath of Office during the graduation ceremony on Oct. 22.

Bottom right photo: KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck stands with the class president for the 284th graduating class, Officer Justin Atchison.

Wed, 10/27/2021

author

Jason Levy

Media Contacts

Jason Levy

Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center

620-694-1400