Twenty-two new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on August 20th at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
Deputy Matthew Cook of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Jay Simecka, Sheriff for Morris County. Troy Livingston, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator for the 282nd Basic Training Class.
Officer Nohl Vogel from the Elwood Police Department was recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class’ “Top Shot”.
Officers Melissa Pereda Castaneda from the Junction City Police Department and Andrew Orocio from the August Department of Public Safety walked, ran, or biked more than 200 miles during their time at KLETC and exceeded other physical requirements including push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed run to become members of KLETC’s 200 Mile Club. Officer Orocio was furthered honored with KLETC’s Fitness Award.
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 2021, represented 20 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:
Butler County
Andrew Orocio - Augusta Department of Public Safety
Coffey County
Richard Messerly - Burlington Police Department
Doniphan County
Nohl Vogel - Elwood Police Department
Geary County
Melissa Pereda Castaneda - Junction City Police Department
Luis Rios - Junction City Police Department
Grant County
Akil Love - Ulysses Police Department
Leavenworth County
Tony Reese - Lansing Police Department
Michael Garrison - Leavenworth Police Department
Linn County
Brandon Lewis - Linn County Sheriff’s Office
McPherson County
Charlie McFall - McPherson Police Department
Miami County
John Hamamy - Louisburg Police Department
Morris County
Matthew Cook - Morris County Sheriff’s Office
Rice County
William Dunn - Rice County Sheriff’s Office
Russell County
Matthew Luder - Russell Police Department
Sedgwick County
Hailey Fulton - Wichita State University Police Department
Shawnee County
Jared Nicol - MTAA Police & Fire Department
Thomas County
Jeremy Gwinn - Colby Police Department
Wilson County
Richard Kimzey - Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
Woodson County
Martin Schomaker - Woodson County Sheriff’s Office
Wyandotte County
Marcus Cole - University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
Devin Garden - University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
Miguel Prieto - Edwardsville Police Department