Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center graduates 270th Basic Training Class
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. Graduates who granted permission to release their names are listed below by county and agency:
Barber
Shay Farr, Barber County Sheriff’s Office
Sarah Boor, Medicine Lodge Police Department
Sarah Disanza, Medicine Lodge Police Department
Barton
Dodger Beckham, Barton County Sheriff’s Office
Ryan Hanhardt, Great Bend Police Department
Butler
Angelica Sell, Andover Police Department
Coffey
Brian Siedschlag, Burlington Police Department
Decatur
Richard Blair, Oberlin Police Department
Ford
Justin Moore, Dodge City Police Department
Jose Soto, Dodge City Police Department
Franklin
Brandon Davenport, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Briley Rivers, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Clay Thompson, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Harvey
Matthew Salmans, Newton Police Department
Kingman
Brandon Casares, Kingman Police Department
Connick Roe, Kingman Police Department
Leavenworth
Grace Kortchmar, Leavenworth Police Department
Lyon
Megan Burton, Emporia Police Department
Jordan Pacheco, Emporia Police Department
Marion
Joel Womochil, Marion County Sheriff’s Office
Neosho
Jarren Lewis, Neosho County Sheriff’s Office
Ness
Matthew Mettling, Ness County Sheriff’s Office
Sedgwick
Philip Barringer, Mulvane Police Department
Seward
Robby Ebeling, Liberal Police Department
Jacob Pewthers, Seward County Sheriff’s Office
Stafford
Dustin Melton, St. John Police Department
Sumner
Denver Sones, Conway Springs Police Department.
Learn more about the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
Top photo: The 270th Basic Training Class, observing social distancing, recite the Code of Ethics affirmation in front of KLETC faculty and staff.
Right photo: KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck stands with the class president of the 270th basic training class, Briley Rivers.