KLETC expands public safety training with new site at KU Edwards Campus

OVERLAND PARK — The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC), a division of the University of Kansas, officially launched its new regional training location with an open house Aug. 15 at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

Law enforcement professionals from across Kansas toured newly renovated classrooms, tested updated technology and met KLETC staff now based at the Overland Park location. The event celebrated a yearlong collaboration between KLETC and the KU Edwards Campus aimed at increasing access to high-quality law enforcement training in northeast Kansas.

University of Kansas Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer attended the open house and praised the initiative's alignment with KU’s statewide service mission.

“This really meets a need where more people can get quality training without having to spend a ton of money for travel, hotels and per diem when they can stay in their own area,” said Amy Osburn, assistant director of KLETC.

KLETC’s Information Technology department spent the last several months updating four classrooms with the same instructional tools found at the Yoder main campus, ensuring consistent learning experience across locations. The classrooms also received new desks, paint and carpeting to refresh the environment for incoming students.

“This is an exciting next step for KLETC,” said Darin Beck, vice provost of KLETC and director of police training for the state of Kansas. “It’s an investment in the future of law enforcement, and it’s an investment in the state of Kansas.”

KLETC staff based at the KU Edwards Campus include Osburn, Education Program Coordinator Thomas Hayselden and Jonathan Morris, associate director of KU’s Center for Public Safety Leadership (CPSL).

Continuing education classes will be taught out of the new classrooms at the KU Edwards Campus. The site will also host courses from CPSL, such as the Law Enforcement Leadership Academy – Command School. These programs are designed to support career advancement for officers and expand leadership capacity across Kansas law enforcement agencies.

Stuart Day, dean of the KU Edwards Campus and School of Professional Studies, said the new KLETC presence strengthens the campus’s role as a public service hub.

“The KU Edwards Campus is a critical partner with Overland Park, Johnson County, the K.C. metro and the state of Kansas,” Day said. “Having a stronger KLETC presence on campus brings new colleagues into the fold and enhances services to our constituencies. It also offers great opportunities for collaboration, for example, with the School of Social Welfare.”

KLETC now operates its main campus in Yoder and four regional training sites in Dodge City, Hays, Parsons and Overland Park, supporting its statewide commitment to quality, accessible law enforcement education.