Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 law enforcement students graduate
Beaufort County Community College saw ten students graduate from its Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 basic law enforcement training (BLET) academies. The Spring 2021 class graduated on May 10 and has a 100 percent passing rate on their state certification exams.
Delvin Vines, Niya Wiggins, Antwon Holloway (below, left to right, with Larry Barnes, director of BLET, right, and Todd Alligood, BCCC police chief, left) graduated from the Fall 2020 Night Academy.
Dustin Boseman, Jonathon Collins, Joshua Jones, Jesse King, Cameron Matkins, Patrianna Meekins, and Bailey Williams graduated from the Spring 2021 academy.
The BLET program gives students essential skills for entry-level employment as law enforcement officers with state, county or municipal agencies, or with private enterprise. The program uses state commission-mandated topics and methods of instruction. General subjects include criminal, juvenile, civil, traffic and alcoholic beverage laws; investigative, patrol, custody and court procedures; emergency responses; and ethics and community relations.
Successful graduates receive a certificate and qualify to take certification examinations mandated by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and/or the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission.
Some students will also go on to earn an Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice Technology. The NC Justice Department offers the Criminal Justice Fellows program to provide a way for students to earn the degree at minimal cost to them. While students do not need an AAS in Criminal Justice Technology to start as a police officer, they may need the degree to advance in the field.
In exchange for up to $6300 in forgivable loans, students commit to working at law enforcement agencies in eligible counties including Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington, as well as other rural counties across the state. This includes police departments, sheriff’s departments or correctional institutions, including Hyde Correctional Institute, Tyrrell Prison Work Farm, Pamlico Correctional Institute or Bertie Correctional Institute.
The next BLET academy starts in August. Upcoming monthly information and application sessions can help students find answers and sign up for the evening Fall 2021 program. The information sessions will take place Building 10, Room 1032 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on June 16 and July 14.
For more information, contact Larry Barnes at 252-940-6228 or larry.barnes@beaufortccc.edu. Contact Crystal Watts at crystal.watts@beaufortccc.edu with questions about the CJ Fellows program.
