KLETC
YODER — Fifty-eight new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on March 30. Sandy Horton, executive director of the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association, was the speaker for the ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
The new officers were members of the 249th basic training class at the center. Located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, the center is a division of University of Kansas Professional & Continuing Education.
The graduates, who began their training Dec. 11, 2017, represented 43 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas.
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, the center 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. The center offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year.
Graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by agency.
Allen County
Allen County Sheriff’s Office; Justin Thompson; deputy; Iola
Bourbon County
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department; Nelson Blythe; deputy; Fort Scott
Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department; Steven Nelson; deputy; Fort Scott
Butler County
Butler Community College Public Safety; Toby Goff; patrol officer; El Dorado
Cherokee County
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Jornell Fondren; deputy; Columbus
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Brandon Lero; deputy; Columbus
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Nicholas Powell; deputy; Columbus
Cowley County
Cowley County Sheriff’s Office; Terry Rose; deputy; Winfield
Crawford County
Pittsburg Police Department; Robert Jambrosic; patrol officer; Pittsburg
Dickinson County
Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department; Stephen Gray; deputy; Abilene
Douglas County
University of Kansas Police Department; Amanda Reynolds; patrol officer; Lawrence
Ellis County
Hays Police Department; Derick Nordell; patrol officer; Hays
Finney County
Finney County Sheriff’s Department; Mark McClure; deputy; Garden City
Ford County
Dodge City Police Department; Kristopher Gonzales; patrol officer; Dodge City
Greeley County
Greeley County Sheriff’s Office; Jordan Lobmeyer; deputy; Tribune
Greenwood County
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office; Taylor Ratcliff; deputy; Eureka
Harvey County
Newton Police Department; Austin Gronau; patrol officer; Newton
Jewell County
Jewell County Sheriff’s Department; Frank Vandaveer; deputy; Mankato
Leavenworth County
Leavenworth Police Department; Elijah Bagley; patrol officer; Leavenworth
Tonganoxie Police Department; Leslie Clark; patrol officer; Tonganoxie
McPherson County
McPherson County Sheriff’s Department; Isaac McIver; deputy; McPherson
Miami County
Miami County Sheriff’s Office; Kenneth Richardson; deputy; Paola
Montgomery County
Independence Police Department; Hilary Cook; patrol officer; Independence
Independence Police Department; Devin Mendoza; patrol officer; Independence
Nemaha County
Sabetha Police Department; Paul Streeter; patrol officer; Sabetha
Neosho County
Neosho County Sheriff’s Department; Rian Lahey; deputy; Erie
Ottawa County
Minneapolis Police Department; Richard Sandlin; patrol officer; Minneapolis
Pratt County
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism; Jared Ireland; natural resource officer; Pratt
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism; Mitchell Schwartz; natural resource officer; Pratt
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism; Brooks VanDerBeek; natural resource officer; Pratt
Reno County
Hutchinson Police Department; Eduardo Beckett; patrol officer; Hutchinson
Reno County Sheriff’s Office; Travis Vieyra; deputy; Hutchinson
Riley County
Riley County Police Department; Ronnie Bowden; patrol officer, Manhattan
Riley County Police Department; Carson Lang; patrol officer, Manhattan
Riley County Police Department; Holly Ugo; patrol officer, Manhattan
Saline County
Salina Police Department; Tyler Elmore; patrol officer; Salina
Sedgwick County
Derby Police Department; Austin Drinnen; patrol officer; Derby
Clearwater Police Department; Garrett Hoover; patrol officer; Clearwater
Seward County
Liberal Police Department; Ricardo Ramirez; patrol officer; Liberal
Shawnee County
Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; Christopher Dahlke; deputy; Topeka
Shawnee County Parks Police Department; Jake Noble; patrol officer; Topeka
Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office; Dustin Weece; deputy; Topeka
Sherman County
Goodland Police Department; Erik Roeder; patrol officer; Goodland
Wyandotte County
University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department; Miranda Lawson; patrol officer; Kansas City
University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department; Wesley Winters; patrol officer; Kansas City.