Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center graduates 292nd Basic Training Class

HUTCHINSON – Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on April 29 at a ceremony held in the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.

Officer Robert Garland of the Andover Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Rick Lockhart of the Lawrence Police Department. Steve McCorkill, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 292nd Basic Training Class.

Garland received the Fitness Medal for having the best overall improvement in push-ups, sit-ups and the 1.5 mile run as well as having logged the most miles run. Officers Mason Dyck of the Moundridge Police Department and James Smathers of the Lawrence Police Department were added to the Director’s Honor Roll. Smathers was also awarded the Welch Academic Award for academic excellence. Dyck 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 January 2022, represented multiple municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

BUTLER COUNTY

• Robert Garland, Andover Police Department

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

• Manuel Arica Zambrano, Sedan Police Department

CHEYENNE COUNTY

• Troy Zweygardt, Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office

COWLEY COUNTY

• Dylan Kettenbach, Arkansas City Police Department
• Otey Spires, Arkansas City Police Department

DICKINSON COUNTY

• Colton Barton, Chapman Police Department

DOUGLAS COUNTY

• James Smathers, Lawrence Police Department

JEWELL COUNTY

• Brandon Keeker, Jewell County Sheriff's Office
• Isaiah Tippin, Jewell County Sheriff's Office

JOHNSON COUNTY

• James Fallin, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

LYON COUNTY

• Aaron Eckdahl, Emporia Police Department
• Martin Orozco, Emporia Police Department

MCPHERSON COUNTY

• Mason Dyck, Moundridge Police Department
• Barton Miller, McPherson Police Department

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

• Stephen Conley, Cherryvale Police Department

OSAGE COUNTY

• Falicity Garner, Carbondale Police Department
• Phillip Shepard — Osage County Sheriff’s Office

PRATT COUNTY

• Noah Fiechtl, Pratt Police Department

RENO COUNTY

• Mason Cooper, Hutchinson Police Department
• Chance Gorges, Reno County Sheriff’s Office



SEDGWICK COUNTY

• Chance Corsair, Park City Police Department
• Judah Kidd, Park City Police Department
• Elisha Tobin, Derby Police Department

SHAWNEE COUNTY

• Anthony Cooper, MTAA Police and Fire Department

WILSON COUNTY

• Kevin Chandler, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office

WYANDOTTE COUNTY

• Derik Ehlert, University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
• Matthew Woodrell, University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department.

Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC).

Top photo: Chief Rick Lockhart of the Lawrence Police Department addresses the 292nd Basic Training Class.

Right photo: KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck stands with class president Officer Robert Garland.