Six students recently graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Isothermal Community College after completing nearly ten months of training.

The BLET program is the state-mandated course of study for anyone interested in becoming a certified law enforcement officer. The six students who completed the program were trained in 35 topics including criminal law, arrest, search and seizure, driver training, defense tactics, firearms, and other related law enforcement topics.

The students who earned a graduation certificate for the 673-hour training program are Thor Rippy, Levi Snellings, Landis Mack Jenkins, Robert Wesley Shope, Aiden Cole Flack and Matthew Dillon Hull.

After an invocation by instructor Rev. Paul Scott and the National Anthem sung by Isothermal VP Stephen Matheny, the audience was welcomed by Dr. Johnny Smith, dean of Health and Public Services. An overview of the program was given by instructor Thomas Tarker before the commencement address from Jeff Buchanan, retired chief deputy of Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and a longtime trooper with the North Carolina Highway Patrol. BLET director Philip Bailey presented the awards.

Shope earned the Top State Exam, Top Academic and Top Firearms awards. Jenkins was named the winner of the Standard of Excellence.

This is the 72nd BLET class to graduate from Isothermal Community College since it began conducting the training in the late 1970s.

For information about the next BLET class, contact Brenda McFarland at 828-395-1668 or Bailey at 828-395-1644.

Article submitted by Mike Gavin