Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center graduates 298th Basic Training Class

HUTCHINSON — Twenty-one new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Sept. 9 at a ceremony held in the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.

Deputy David Decker of the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Dale Finger of the Leawood Police Department. Steve McCorkill, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 298th Basic Training Class.

Agent Sydney Schreffler of the Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission and Officer Kollin Goering of the Hutchinson Police Department were placed on the Director’s Honor Roll. Schreffler was additionally awarded the Larry Welch Academic Award for having the highest total average on the written exams within the class. Officer Chandler Allen of the Leavenworth Police Department received the award for fitness while Officer Morney Sok of the KU Medical Center Police Department was recognized for his firearms proficiency as the class’s “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 May 2022, represented multiple municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

Barton County

• Trae Wineinger, Great Bend Police Department

Brown County

• Elliot Boldt, Iowa Tribal Police Department

Cherokee County

• Matthew Burkhart, Galena Police Department

Douglas County

• Geovanny Gonzalez, Lawrence Police Department
• Tristan Handley, Lawrence Police Department

Franklin County

• Matthew Greiner, Ottawa Police Department

Grant County

• Elvin Rodriguez, Ulysses Police Department

Johnson County

• Chance Thomas, Leawood Police Department

Labette County

• Joshua Lindsey, Parsons Police Department

Leavenworth County

• Chandler Allen, Leavenworth Police Department
• John Yates, Leavenworth Police Department
• Dennis Helt, Lansing Police Department

Miami County

• Lucas Millican, Paola Police Department

Osage County

• Caden Feliciano, Osage County Sheriff’s Office

Reno County

• Kollin Goering, Hutchinson Police Department
• Matthew Hickman, Hutchinson Police Department

Shawnee County

• Sydney Schreffler, Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission.

Wilson County

• David Decker, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
• Jenna Reed, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office

Wyandotte County

• Zachary Cronk, University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department
• Morney Sok, University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department.

Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.

Top photo: The 298th Basic Training Class takes an oath during a ceremony Sept. 9 at the KLETC Integrity Auditorium.

Right photo: KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck stands with the class president of the 298th, Deputy David Decker.