Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center Honors 345th Basic Training Graduates
Photos by Jeff Tuttle
Friends and family filled Integrity Auditorium on Friday to celebrate the graduation of the 345th Basic Training Class at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC).
The ceremony marked the end of 14 weeks of intensive training and the beginning of a new chapter for the graduates as they join the law enforcement profession across Kansas.
Police Instructor Senior and Class Coordinator Dave Ohlde introduced the class during the ceremony. He was followed by Senator Mike Murphy of the Kansas Senate, who addressed the graduates and their families with words of encouragement and pride.
“As you leave here, carry your oath with you,” Senator Murphy said. “You're not alone. You have your fellow officers, your communities, and the trust of those who believe in your promise. Be fair, be true, be brave. Kansas is proud of you.”
Officer Hunter Sanders, a member of the Emporia State University Police & Safety Department and president of the graduating class, also spoke on behalf of his classmates. In his remarks, he reflected on the purpose and responsibility of serving in law enforcement.
“Remember, it's not about us,” Sanders said. “It's about every community you'll serve, every person you'll help, every moment you choose to act with honor. Let us begin this journey with purpose. Let us lead with compassion and strength. Let us become the officers Kansas and our communities deserve.”
The graduation of the 345th Basic Training Class adds a new group of well-trained officers to agencies across the state — men and women committed to protecting and serving with integrity, courage, and dedication.
Under the authority of Vice Provost and Director of Police Training Darin Beck, graduates received certificates attesting the satisfactory completion of a full-time basic course of instruction, and certification as Kansas law enforcement officers from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s Law enforcement licensing authority.
The following are the graduates of the 345th basic training class
Awards in italics
Ozzy Adney, Grandview Plaza Police Department
Keegan Anschutz, Riley County Police Department: Fitness
Hannah Ayala, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office: Fitness
Benjamin Bontrager, Riley County Police Department: Honors
Dustin Branaugh, Beloit Police Department
Kourtney Cole, Garden City Police Department
Daniel Hughes, Garden City Police Department
Cody Kaler, Hodgeman County Sheriff's Office
Spencer Kennedy, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office
Thomas Macias, University of Kansas Med Center Police Dept
Levi Martin, Great Bend Police Department
Matthew Melillo, Hutchinson Police Department
Jose Murillo, Garden City Police Department
Cristian Padilla, Hutchinson Police Department
Daniel Phillips, Hutchinson Police Department
Bill Prater, Liberal Police Department
Jacob Robinson, Ottawa Police Department
Jimmie Rose, Fort Scott Police Department
Hunter Sanders, Emporia State University Police Department: Class President
MacGregor Thomas, Riley County Police Department
Abraham Werner, Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office
