New Officers Graduate Training

A new Saline County Sheriff Deputy is among sixteen new law enforcement officers who graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center late last week.

Officer Jonathon Davis of the Altamont Police Department was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue. Mike Satterlee, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 280th Basic Training Class.

Saline County Sheriff Deputy Jesse McOwen, along with officers Jonathon Davis and Christopher Moyer as well as deputies Sarah Howard and Austin Tillman walked, ran or biked more than 200 miles during their time at the training center and exceeded the other physical requirements of the 200 Mile Club, including push-ups, sit-ups and a timed run.

McOwen was honored as the student with the most improved fitness since the beginning of basic training.

Moyer was singled out during the ceremony for having run more miles than any other student in the 280th. Spencer Medina from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks 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 March 2021, represented 13 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. Graduates are listed below by county and agency:

Atchison

  1. Sarah Howard, Atchison County Sheriff’s Office

 

Bourbon

  1. Colby Prince, Fort Scott Police Department

 

Brown

  1. Christopher Moyer, Kickapoo Police Department
  2. David Spain, Horton Police Department

 

Ellis

  1. Jared Engel, Hays Police Department

 

Finney

  1. Evelin Gutierrez-Urena, Finney County Sheriff’s Office
  2. Estella Murica, Finney County Sheriff’s Office

 

Labette

  1. Jonathon Davis, Altamont Police Department

 

Marion

  1. Christopher Lyon, Marion County Sheriff’s Office

 

Pratt

  1. Spencer Medina, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

 

Saline

  1. Jesse McOwen, Saline County Sheriff’s Office

 

Seward

  1. Arline Lizarraga, Seward County Sheriff’s Office
  2. James Featherston, Seward County Sheriff’s Office

 

Shawnee

  1. Austin Tillman, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office

 

Wyandotte

  1. Dilynn Scheets, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office
  2. John Valdez, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office