A Salina family has been honored by the Kansas Highway Patrol for an act of kindness.
According to the agency, back on Tuesday, Darla Gent of Salina observed a sweat covered group of KHP recruits participating in a run as part of their afternoon physical training session. Living in the area, Gent drove home and grabbed a few dozen bottles of cold water. She caught back up to them, where they had stopped for some sit-ups and push-ups, and offered the water to them.
That evening, the members of KHP Recruit Class #56 were assigned the task of writing a thank you letter to be presented, along with a class photo, to Gent. Friday morning she and her daughters visited the Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy, where Recruit Trooper Hill, on behalf of class #56, presented the family the thank you letter and class photo.
The agency says “this is a very trying time for law enforcement officers across our country; the kindness and appreciation shown by Mrs. Gent is very humbling and has definitely made an impact upon our future Troopers.”
The Kansas Highway Patrol Training Academy is located in Salina. Along with the physical training, recruit troopers go through classroom and practical training. They learned accident investigation techniques; testing of impaired drivers; Kansas laws and statutes; among many other things. They practice car stops; at the firing range; defensive tactics; testing for DUI; and other critical training components that they will need to incorporate when they go out on their own out on the road.
