DUBLIN – Bladen Community College will begin fall classes for men and women interested in Basic Law Enforcement Training with registration on September 24, 2015. Over the past 24 years, the college has graduated 250 candidates, providing skilled law enforcement personnel to local, town, county, regional, state, and federal organizations.
Taught by former crime scene technician, John Trogden, the BCC program combines physical conditioning with required classwork. Coursework includes intensive training in the use of firearms, emergency vehicle operation, defense tactics, legalities, and diffusing domestic violence. The BCC BLET Academy is the only accredited training available in the county.
Director Larry Guyton remarks, “The BLET Academy at BCC has been highly effective since its beginning in 1990. We are currently undergoing our 25th accreditation process by the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.”
BCC graduates are working in area police and sheriff’s departments in Bladenboro, Whiteville, Lumberton, and Bladen County.
Recent graduate, Will Hundley, comments, “The BCC program is great, but it takes 100% commitment.”
Hundley came to the BCC BLET Academy with an associate degree in administration of justice and a family with a military background. Consequently, he knew what to expect.
“I believe the program presents a realistic representation of the real world experience,” expresses Hundley. “The instructors are experts in their individual fields.”
He comments, “The hardest part may be physical conditioning. It is rigorous and you need to be prepared for that. However, I tell candidates that if I can do it, you can do it.”
In 2011, while riding a motorcycle, Hundley was hit by a pickup truck that failed to yield. He suffered thirteen broken bones and multiple internal compilations on his left side. The experience has only reinforced his commitment to public safety.
Hundley advises new cadets, “Be diligent in your studies. We need good officers more than ever.”
The 26-weeks program is approved for financial aid and VA benefits.
Eligible candidates for the BLET Academy must meet certain conditions. 1) Candidates must be citizens of the United States, and provide a copy of their birth certificate or naturalization papers. 2) Candidates must be at least 20 years of age at the time of registration. 3) Each candidate must be sponsored or employed by a public law enforcement agency prior to enrollment and maintain that sponsorship or employment throughout the course. 4) All candidates must provide to the BLET School Director, a Letter of Intent to sponsor the candidate from the sponsoring agency. The letter must include a statement verifying that a criminal background check on the attendant has been conducted and that no disqualifying offenses were discovered. The letter should also indicate that the attendant is of sufficient moral character to attend the Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy. 5) No candidate will be admitted to the Academy that does not meet the minimum standards for employment as established by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and/or the N.C. Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission.
Prior registration for the BLET Academy is required before class attendance begins.
Registration is Thursday, September 24, at 6 PM. At this mandatory session, students will officially register for class, pay all fees, and purchase uniforms.
Classes meet Monday through Friday evenings, from 6 PM until 10 PM and every other Saturday, from 8 AM until 5 PM. On nights when physical conditioning classes are scheduled, (typically three nights per week), classes meet from 5:30 PM until 10 PM.
During the 26-week course, students will also be required to attend at least two week-day classes in firearms and driver training.
The BLET Academy fall classes begin on September 24, 2015 and continue through March 26, 2016.
Prior registration on September 24 is required before attending classes. Cadets will have time off from classes during the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For more information about the Basic Law Enforcement Training academy, contact the program director, John Trogden, at 910.879.5536, or jtrogden@bladencc.edu. Visit the link to the webpage at http://www.bladencc.edu/blet/download.php
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