LAWRENCE — Two new law enforcement officers from Barton County and one from Pawnee County are among the 60 new law enforcement officers who graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) last month. McPherson Police Chief Robert McClarty was the speaker for the ceremony in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium.

The new officers were members of the 253rd 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 Sept. 10, 2018, represented 45 municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies 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 from nearby counties who granted permission to release their names are listed below by agency.

Barton County

Great Bend Police Department; Jason Blundell; patrol officer; Great Bend

Barton County Sheriff’s Office; Alexandria Mason; deputy; Great Bend

Pawnee County

Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department; Kristi Oak; deputy; Larned

Pratt County

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Sean Coleman; natural resource officer; Pratt

Knsas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Grant Duncan; natural resource officer; Pratt

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Vance Frick; natural resource officer; Pratt

Reno County

Hutchinson Police Department; Zachary Coman; patrol officer; Hutchinson

Rice County

Lyons Police Department; Angela Tobisch; patrol officer; Lyons

Saline County

Salina Police Department; Keenan Breen; patrol officer; Salina

Salina Police Department; James Countryman; patrol officer; Salina

Salina Police Department; Mathew Newton; patrol officer; Salina

Saline County Sheriff’s Office; Derek Weis; deputy; Salina