Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center Graduates 297th Basic Training Class

Nineteen new law enforcement officers graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on August 19th at a ceremony held in the KLETC Integrity Auditorium. 

Game Warden Kalaeb Bratton of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Director Todd Ackerman of the Augusta Department of Public Safety. Michael Satterlee, KLETC Senior Instructor of Police, was the Class Coordinator for the 297th Basic Training Class.

Game Warden Bratton of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was placed on the Director’s Honor Roll. He was additionally awarded the Larry Welch Academic Award for having the highest total average on the written exams within the class. His final average was 95.70%. Officer Mitchell May of the Hutchinson Police Department 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 May 2022, represented multiple municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

Allen
John Walker - Allen County Sheriff’s Office

Barton
Derrick Brown - Ellinwood Police Department

Butler
Nicklas Cline - Rose Hill Police Department
Samantha Cosby - Augusta Department of Public Safety
Blake Elsen - Andover Police Department
Tyler Smith - Augusta Department of Public Safety

Cowley
Jeni McGee - Arkansas City Police Department

Dickinson
Matthews Asmus - Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office

Ellis
Brevin LaBarge - Hays Police Department

Ford
Michael Imel - Dodge City Police Department

Geary
Jared Johnson - Junction City Police Department

Harvey
Charles Jefferis - Newton Police Department

Leavenworth
Alexis Solis - Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office

Pratt
Kalaeb Bratton - Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Reno
Mitchell May - Hutchinson Police Department
Pearson Schrag - Hutchinson Police Department

Riley
Michael Rifflemacher - Kansas State University Police Department

Shawnee
Cody Frost - MTAA Police & Fire Department
James Hubbard - MTAA Police & Fire Department