Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center graduates 280th Basic Training Class

HUTCHINSON — Sixteen new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on July 2 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

Officer Jonathon Davis of the Altamont Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue. Mike Satterlee, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 280th Basic Training Class.

Davis and fellow officer Christopher Moyer as well as deputies Sarah Howard, Jesse McOwen and Austin Tillman walked, ran or biked more than 200 miles during their time at KLETC and exceeded the other physical requirements of the 200 Mile Club, including push-ups, sit-ups and a timed run. Moyer was singled out during the ceremony for having run more miles than any other student in the 280th. McOwen was honored as the student with the most improved fitness since the beginning of basic training. Spencer Medina from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was 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 the University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.

The graduates, who began their training in March 2021, represented 13 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

Atchison

• Sarah Howard, Atchison County Sheriff’s Office

Bourbon

• Colby Prince, Fort Scott Police Department

Brown

• Christopher Moyer, Kickapoo Police Department

• David Spain, Horton Police Department

Ellis

• Jared Engel, Hays Police Department

Finney

• Evelin Gutierrez-Urena, Finney County Sheriff’s Office

• Estella Murica, Finney County Sheriff’s Office

Labette

• Jonathon Davis, Altamont Police Department

Marion

• Christopher Lyon, Marion County Sheriff’s Office

Pratt

• Spencer Medina, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Saline

• Jesse McOwen, Saline County Sheriff’s Office

Seward

• Arline Lizarraga, Seward County Sheriff’s Office

• James Featherston, Seward County Sheriff’s Office

Shawnee

• Austin Tillman, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office

Wyandotte

• Dilynn Scheets, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office

• John Valdez, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office.

Top photo: The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center's 280th graduating class.