The Wichita Training Center
The Law Enforcement Training Center (WTC) in Wichita sits in a 60,000 square foot state-of-art facility and is located off of 21st & Ridge Road in Wichita. The facility opened in October 2010 after 5 years of construction and planning. Licensed by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, it also serves the Kansas Highway Patrol, Sin City Training Academy, and several private security companies.
The WTC has helped law enforcement officers across the region improve their skills, including physical training and educational courses , in a realistic and effective manner. As local law enforcement agencies realize the benefits they received from training at the facility, they are requesting the services more often. And, according to Wichita Police Captain Doug Nolte, law enforcement agencies outside of the state and region, as far away as Colombia, have trained at the center.
The mission of the Law Enforcement Training Center is to provide comprehensive training in a quality environment for all agencies. They provide dynamic and up-to-date hands-on and lecture training that prepares officer for on-duty situations.
Available Training Programs
The center provides various courses designed to improve and increase law enforcement efficiency in the region, creating a safer environment for both officers and the residents they serve. The scope of training activities at the center is split into three categories: basic law enforcement training courses, in-service courses and specialty training.
Basic training
Basic training is primarily focused on preparing participants to fulfill their job responsibilities as public safety personnel. The basic program contains five months of instructive learning and four months of field training, with classes taking place weekdays from Monday to Friday and courses lasting eight hours each.
In-service
In-service courses are geared toward law enforcement officers who are looking to pursue growth and better themselves further down the line. These courses will update and enhance an officer’s knowledge and skills in various categories, with many courses in the in-service program including a physical component.
Specialty training
Specialty training comprises courses that help officers develop more specialized skill sets. Courses available through this program include:
Advanced Facilities
The Wichita, KS – Law Enforcement Training Center is equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, simulation environments and specialty equipment. Formal classrooms contain advanced projection and audio-visual capabilities to accommodate lectures, and other training materials while classrooms for investigative training are set up to simulate the environment of teams of law enforcement professionals conducting investigations in the field. The center also features the latest in computer-training equipment to facilitate contact on an individual basis with a law enforcement professional or the general public, and to provide other programs in compliance with a wide variety of programs and the requirements of the State of Kansas.
Professional Instructors
The law enforcement instructors at the Wichita Center are experienced professionals with first-hand experience in virtually every area of law enforcement. Our instructors are certified to teach with hundreds and thousands of hours of teaching, guiding, and mentoring law enforcement personnel. The quality of training you receive at our Center will be consistent with that received by law enforcement officers and agents. Our instruction has included but is not limited to: When you train with our Center instructors, you will witness an unparalleled level of experience and knowledge. The Center instructors, having worked undercover, gone through and led narcotics/robbery raids, and physically confronted and arrested hundreds of people, have the high level of experience and training necessary to develop and enhance the skills of all law enforcement personnel especially SWAT teams. These team members possess a unique mix of talent, skill sets, and values that reflect and complement those in our Law Enforcement faculty.
Community Contributions and Collaborations
A critical asset to local communities, the Law Enforcement Training Center in Wichita, Kansas works collaboratively with various local law enforcement agencies to provide essential training for the officers and students pursuing a career in law enforcement. The center boasts a partnership with Butler Community College to train area law enforcement recruits in the 720 hours of required academy training. Moreover, many local law enforcement departments at the city and county level send their recruits to the center to receive their 22 week training program .
The center is involved with more than 70 local law enforcement agencies to plan and coordinate specialized training courses, including the ever-popular Defensive Tactics course offered regularly throughout the year and funded by the Wichita Division of Police Officers Association.
To reach potential and existing law enforcement personnel as effectively as possible, the center also hosts four scheduled Police Applicant Exams every year at four different locations throughout the area. While the center serves an essential purpose in its location, it also reaches out to other states and agencies to host trainings outside its home base.
Registration Process and Admission Requirements
Enrollment and admission to the Wichita Training Center require some advance planning. Prerequisites will vary with the specific class so your best route is to check with the center to determine what they are. Often completion of a prior course is mandatory. Check with your program. The center offers a required orientation for their programs which is fairly simple. The criteria above will apply.
For example, a basic Domestic Violence Prevention and Response Training program, for law enforcement instructors, is designed to train men and women to train others within their chains of command or departments. This course is intended for trainers who have a background in Peace Officer Standards and Training recognized states. Prior completion of the Weaponless Defensive Tactics Instructor Course is required. Additionally, enrollment at the Wichita Training Center is not satisfied until the applicant has received an acceptance letter, which will be sent by the Program Director.
On the other hand, an Intermediate Domestic Violence Forensic Investigation course has more stringent admission requirements. These classes require an applicant to have a degree in a law enforcement or forensic science field and/or full-time experience with a law enforcement agency within a forensic unit. You may complete an application for admission to an individual program by downloading one from the Wichita Training Center’s website.
References and Endorsements
"The Law Enforcement Training Center has been a game changer for me. I was just another number before going through the program, but now I feel like I have a purpose and a career path I can be proud of." – Jenna S., Class of 2019
"I attended the LEOTC program right after graduating high school and it has jumpstarted me into a successful career! The instructors are great and I know I am prepared for the job. I’ve already received two job offers and I get paid much better than I would have as an officer." – James K., Class of 2018
"Coming into the LEOTC program I was unsure what kind of results I would get from it. But as I enter into the job force I understand that it was totally worth all the time and effort put into the class and the instructors who lead us to success." – Michael T., Class of 2017
"I was unsure about my future and the right path to take, but after attending the training center I have a clear direction for my life. I can’t thank everyone involved in the program enough!" – Sarah G., Class of 2020
Prospective Developments and Additions
The Law Enforcement Training Center in Wichita, KS is not resting on its past successes, as the facility has several developments in the works. Some of these are focused on expanding its curriculum and the way it delivers its training programs. For instance, Law Enforcement Training Center officials are hard at work developing new training programs in digital evidence acquisition and cybersecurity to meet the needs of the current landscape of both local and national law enforcement agencies. As is the case with so many other education-based institutions, the center’s staff is looking to implement more online classes and programs to help officers from all across the region receive this training. "This will help us better serve the agencies and officers who rely on us for these crucial training resources," said center spokesman Joe Slater. At the same time , lawmakers in the area are working with the Law Enforcement Training Center to develop new initiatives that will allow it to serve as a hub for regional training. For example, area agencies may partner with the center to organize regional training academies that will be more efficient and cost-effective than bringing officers to a central location. All of these developments emphasize the need for a state-of-the-art facility that can handle these expanded programs. Among the top priorities for the center is the addition of a larger classroom facility to accommodate additional officers, as well as upgraded props and simulators for firearms and driving training. "The technology that we have at our disposal in today’s training academies is really quite remarkable, especially in terms of law enforcement," Slater said. "By expanding our core facility to accommodate these new developments, we can give our trainees the best possible experience they can have getting prepared for their careers in law enforcement."