YODER — Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Oct. 30 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.
Briley Rivers, a deputy at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, was the graduating class president. Troy Livingston, KLETC senior instructor of police and class coordinator for the 270th Basic Training Class, was the speaker for the ceremony.
Ryan Hanhardt of the Great Bend Police Department was recognized as the class “Top Shot.” Jacob Pewthers of the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, was the recipient of the KLETC Fitness Award.
Pewthers, Rivers and Jordan Pacheco, of the Emporia Police Department, walked, ran or biked more than 200 miles during their time at KLETC and were honored as a members of the 200 Mile Club.
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 University of Kansas Lifelong & Professional Education.
The graduates, who began their training in July 2020, represented 21 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Local graduates are: Dodger Beckham, Barton County Sheriff’s Office; Ryan Hanhardt, Great Bend Police Department; Dustin Melton, St. John Police Department.
