HUTCHINSON — Twenty-three new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on Jan. 14 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium south of Hutchinson.

Officer William Butrum of the Baldwin City Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Darrell Atteberry, chief of police for the Bel Aire Police Department. Michael Turenne, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 287th Basic Training Class.

Chase Turner from the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office 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 September 2021, represented 19 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. 

Local graduates are Christopher Kelso, Great Bend Police Department, and Michael Craven, St. John Police Department.