21 Officers Graduate from Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Twenty-one law enforcement officers completed their basic training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center on Friday, marking the graduation of the academy's 344th class after 14 weeks of intensive instruction.
Among the Hutchinson Police Department's new officers are Grant Gadbury, Aracely Hernandez-Zamarripa and Trey Morris, who were featured in the department's social media announcement of the graduation.
The ceremony took place at KLETC's Integrity Auditorium, where family and friends gathered to watch the new officers take their oath of office and officially join Kansas law enforcement agencies across the state.
Overland Park Police Chief Doreen Jokerst delivered the keynote address, encouraging the graduates to serve with distinction.
"Class 344, you are ready. Serve with honor. Lead with integrity and live with purpose," Jokerst told the audience. "Build trust and protect with courage. Always take care of each other and yourselves."
The graduating class includes officers from 16 different agencies, ranging from local police departments to county sheriff's offices and state agencies. Three graduates will serve with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks as game wardens, while others join departments in communities from Liberal to Ottawa.
Class President Steve Hutchens, one of the new game wardens, reflected on the bonds formed during training.
"344 is not just an academy class — it's who we became here," Hutchens said. "When the real challenges come — and they will — remember you've already been through hard things, and you didn't get through them alone."
The graduates received certificates from Vice Provost and Director of Police Training Darin Beck, along with certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training, the state's law enforcement licensing authority.
Three officers earned honors recognition: Samual Hermesch and Steven Hutchens, both with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, along with Hutchens also serving as class president. Four graduates received fitness awards for their physical performance during training.
The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, located in Hutchinson, provides basic and advanced law enforcement training for officers throughout Kansas. The 14-week basic training program covers legal instruction, firearms training, defensive tactics, emergency vehicle operations and other essential law enforcement skills.
The graduates now begin field training with their respective agencies before taking on full law enforcement duties in their communities.