By JASON LEVY
KLETC
Nineteen new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Friday at a ceremony held in the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.
Game Warden Kalaeb Bratton of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Todd Akerman of the Augusta Department of Safety. Michael Satterlee, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator for the 297th Basic Training Class.
Game Warden Bratton of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was placed on the Director’s Honor Roll. He was additionally awarded the Larry Welch Academic Award for having the highest total average on the written exams within the class. His final average was 95.70% Officer Mitchell Mays of the Hutchinson Police Department 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 May 2022, represented multiple municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:
Allen County
John Walker - Allen County Sheriff’s Office
Barton County
Derrick Brown - Ellinwood Police Department
Butler County
Nicklas Cline - Rose Hill Police Department
Samantha Cosby - Augusta Department of Public Safety
Blake Elsen - Andover Police Department
Tyler Smith - Augusta Department of Public Safety
Cowley County
Jeni McGee - Arkansas City Police Department
Dickinson County
Matthews Asmus - Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office
Ellis County
Brevin LaBarge - Hays Police Department
Ford County
Michael Imel - Dodge City Police Department
Geary County
Jared Johnson - Junction City Police Department
Harvey County
Charles Jefferis - Newton Police Department
Leavenworth County
Alexis Solis - Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office
Pratt County
Kalaeb Bratton - Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Reno County
Mitchell May - Hutchinson Police Department
Pearson Schrag - Hutchinson Police Department
Riley County
Michael Rifflemacher - Kansas State University Police Department
Shawnee County
Cody Frost - MTAA Police & Fire Department
James Hubbard - MTAA Police & Fire Department