Twenty-one new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Friday at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
Officer Kaelin Leach of the Hays Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief of Police for the Abilene Police Department, Anna Hatter. Steve McCorkill, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator for the 279th Basic Training Class.
Officer Nicholas Pate of the Overbrook Police Department was named the Welch Award Winner for having the highest academic achievement over 94 percent in the class. Officer Randall Douvier from the Newton Police Department was recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class’ “Top Shot”. Officer Cassidy Fox from the Leavenworth Police Department walked, ran, or biked more than 200 miles during her time at KLETC and exceeded the other physical requirements of the 200 Mile Club including push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed run. Officer Jeffery McKinney from the Abilene Police Department was honored as the student with the most improved fitness since the beginning of basic training.
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 19 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:
Bourbon County
• Jonathan Allen - Fort Scott Police Department
Dickinson County
• Jeffery McKinney - Abilene Police Department
Ellis County
• Covey Becker - Ellis County Sheriff’s Office
• Kaelin Leach - Hays Police Department
Ford County
• Nicholas Murray - Dodge City Police Department
Geary County
• Anthony Timms - Junction City Police Department
Harvey County
• Randall Douvier - Newton Police Department
Kearny County
• Sheila Malliot - Kearny County Sheriff’s Office
Leavenworth County
• Jacob Cuneo - Leavenworth Police Department
• Cassidy Fox - Leavenworth Police Department
• George Green - Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office
Meade County
• Anthony Schmidt - Meade Police Department
Nemaha County
• Phillip Steinlage - Seneca Police Department
Osage County
• Nicholas Pate - Overbrook Police Department
Pratt County
• Devon Willard - Pratt County Sheriff’s Office
Rawlins County
• Catlyn Wahrman - Rawlins County Sheriff’s Office
Reno County
• Lane Hammond - Hutchinson Police Department
• Allison Roman - Hutchinson Police Department
Republic County
• Shawn Sprayberry - Republic County Sheriff’s Office
Riley County
• Derek Boam - Kansas State University Police Department
Wyandotte County
• Carlos Rosales - University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department