Law Enforcement Center announces new graduating class

YODER – Sixty-three new law enforcement officers were congratulated by Craig Floyd, president and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, during their graduation from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Sept. 30.

The new officers were members of the 241st basic training class at the center. Located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, the center is a division of University of Kansas Professional & Continuing Education.

The graduates, who began their training June 20, represented 48 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.

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, the center 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 the 14-week basic training program. The center offered continuing education and specialized training to as many as 5,600 Kansas officers each year. Funding for the training center is generated from court docket fees from municipal and state courts. No funds from the state’s general revenue are used to operate the center.

Graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by agency.

Dept/Agency; Name; Rank; Agency City

Bourbon County

Bourbon County Sheriff's Office; Ryan Blanton; deputy; Fort Scott

Fort Scott Police Department; Zachary Ross; patrol officer; Fort Scott

Fort Scott Police Department; Nicholas Trim; patrol officer; Fort Scott

Brown County

Hiawatha Police Department; Juan Gonzales; officer; Hiawatha

Chautauqua County

Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office; Shawn Franklin; deputy; Sedan

Cowley County

Arkansas City Police Department; Kelsey Horinek; patrol officer; Arkansas City

Cowley County Sheriff's Office; Cory Sunnenberg; deputy; Winfield

Ellis County

Hays Police Department; Jock Felzien; patrol officer; Hays

Hays Police Department; Jacob Graham; patrol officer; Hays

Hays Police Department; Scott Heimann; patrol officer; Hays

Ellis Police Department; Avery Smith; patrol officer; Ellis

Finney County

Garden City Police Department; Reagan Kelley; patrol officer; Garden City

Ford County

Dodge City Police Department; Michael Frazee; patrol officer; Dodge City

Franklin County

Franklin County Sheriff's Office; Todd Rhodes; deputy; Ottawa

Geary County

Grandview Plaza Police Department; Wyatt Charlson; patrol officer; Grandview Plaza

Grandview Plaza Police Department; Matthew DiPolito; patrol officer; Grandview Plaza

Geary County Sheriff's Department; Justin Greene; deputy; Junction City

Geary County Sheriff's Office; Charles Prather; deputy; Junction City

Junction City Police Department; Joel Sunnenberg; patrol officer; Junction City

Grant County

Ulysses Police Department; Ivan Rodriguez; officer; Ulysses

Harper County

Anthony Police Department; Aaron Christner; patrol officer; Anthony

Harvey County

Newton Police Department; Dak-Yi So; patrol officer; Newton

Jackson County

Jackson County Sheriff's Office; John Paz; deputy; Holton

Labette County

Labette County Sheriff's Office; Krystal Huggard; deputy; Oswego

Leavenworth County

Leavenworth Police Department; Benjamin Heath; patrolman; Leavenworth

Tonganoxie Police Department; Cory Stephens; patrol officer; Tonganoxie

Lyon County

Lyon County Sheriff's Office; Kevin Lee; deputy; Emporia

Miami County

Osawatomie Police Department; Alex Cochrane; patrol officer; Osawatomie

Miami County Sheriff's Office; Brandon Grass; deputy sheriff; Paola

Paola Police Department; Dustin Hawkins; patrol officer; Paola

Osawatomie Police Department; Trevor Roach; patrolman; Osawatomie

Montgomery County

Independence Kansas Police Department; Daniel Bowers; patrol officer; Independence

Ottawa County

Minneapolis Kansas Police Department; Charles Rickey; patrolman; Minneapolis

Pottawatomie County

Wamego Police Department; Scott Gnadt; patrol officer; Wamego

Pratt County

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism; Nicholas Birdsong; State Park manager; Pratt

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, & Tourism; Jared Lytle; park ranger; Pratt

Rice County

Rice County Sheriff's Office; Rebecca Slief; deputy; Lyons

Saline County

Saline County Sheriff's Department; James Akin; deputy; Salina

Salina Police Department; Alejandro Rosado; patrol officer; Salina

Salina Police Department; Hunter Soldan; police officer; Salina

Sedgwick County

Wichita State University Police Department; Brandon Dorion; police officer; Wichita

Derby Police Department; Tracy Saffell; patrol officer; Derby

Garden Plain Police Department; Eric Smith; patrol officer; Garden Plain

Bel Aire Police Department; Joseph Trumbull; patrol officer; Bel Aire

Shawnee County

Shawnee County Sheriff's Office; Paul Fernkopf; deputy; Topeka

Shawnee County Sheriff's; James Landry; deputy; Topeka

Washburn University Police; Terence Minton; officer; Topeka

Shawnee County Sheriff's Office; Dustin Zahn; deputy; Topeka

Sherman County

Goodland Police Department; Whitney Ullom; patrol officer; Goodland

Sumner County

Sumner County Sheriff's Office; Daniel Shipley; deputy; Wellington

Conway Springs Police Department; Landon Wiseley; patrol officer; Conway Springs

Thomas County

Thomas County Sheriff's Office; Samantha Shepherd; deputy; Colby

Washington County

Washington County Sheriff's Department; Robert Baxa; deputy; Washington

Woodson County

Woodson County Sheriff's Office; Johnathan Robinson; deputy; Yates Center

Wyandotte County

Edwardsville Police Department; Neal Boyce; patrol officer; Edwardsville

Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office; Jared Gambrel; deputy; Kansas City

Edwardsville Police Department; Peter Yazbec; patrol officer; Edwardsville.