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| Graduates from class 80 of SCC’s BLET program are front row, from left: Bradley Buddington of Chapel Hill, Timothy Carter (Franklin), Scott McCoy (Franklin), Abbygayle Swayney (Cherokee) and Gabriel Bingham (Franklin). Back row, from left: SCC’s BLET Instructor Zach Dezarn, Drew Payne (Murphy), Samuel Ingram (Robbinsville), Jarod Lovelace (Robbinsville), Jacob Waldroup (Andrews), and Curtis Dowdle, Dean of the Public Safety Training Center. |
Southwestern Community College honored nine new graduates of the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Public Safety Training Center in Macon County.
The BLET program is designed to prepare individuals with cognitive and physical skills they need to become entry-level certified police officers and deputy sheriffs in North Carolina.
Over 21 weeks, students participate in rigorous training, including being subjected to pepper spray, tasers and tear gas, while working hard to also learn the academic side of the program related to regulations, law and best practices in the field.
Some students join the program with a background in law enforcement, seeking to earn NC credentials or learn additional skills, while others enter shortly after graduating from college.
One such student is Bradley Buddington of Chapel Hill, who entered the program after graduating from Western Carolina University in May with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology.
Buddington first took an interest in law enforcement when his high school football coach, who worked for the sheriff of Orange County at the time, introduced him to the possibility of becoming an officer.
After graduating from WCU, he asked the University Police Department there to sponsor him for entry into the program at SCC. To join the program, students must have a letter of sponsorship from a NC law enforcement agency which states that their character is appropriate for the profession, and that a background check has been performed.
Buddington chose the program at SCC because of its strong reputation and thorough coursework, but he realized soon after joining that it was more challenging than he had imagined.
“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” said Buddington. “The schedule of waking up at 5:30 a.m., getting in a strict routine, putting in 12-hour days, coming home to study and then doing it all over again. It becomes exhausting very quickly.”
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| (Left) Mitch Boudrot, Director of the Law Enforcement Training program, is presenting a diploma to graduate Bradley Buddington. |
Despite the challenges, Buddington enjoyed the program and is inspired to keep moving forward with his goals in law enforcement.
“Long-term, I can see myself becoming a chief of police,” says Buddington. “I’d like to have a career working in Alamance County, learning as much as I can in each unit. I’m ready to hit the ground running.”
Drew Payne of Turtle Town, Tenn., came to the program with eight years of law enforcement experience and a professional background in narcotics.
Payne started his career as a deputy in Polk County, Tenn. before progressing into an officer, sergeant and eventually a chief of police. He currently works as a narcotics detective in Cherokee County, N.C.
After moving to Cherokee County with his wife and children, Payne decided to enter the BLET program to earn his state credentials. He chose the program at SCC because of its reputation.
“The program at SCC is well-known as being better and stricter than some of the others, which is what law enforcement professionals need,” said Payne. “They have a high-success rate, and the teaching is very thorough. The instructors went far more in-depth than they had to with our courses, which shows that they have a real passion. It says a lot about the quality of the program.”
Samuel Ingram of Robbinsville also chose SCC’s program because of the reputation.
“It’s known for being a great program, and it’s definitely lived up to that,” said Ingram. “There were some other options, but this was the clear choice for me.”
Ingram currently works as a patrol officer for the Graham County Sheriff's Office. Although he had experience working in law enforcement, like Buddington he felt the program was quite challenging.
“You have to really want to work in this field to make it through the program. You have to really earn it,” said Ingram. “If you slack off, you’re going to fail, and there’s really no reason you should fail if you’ve got the passion. The instructors are excellent, and they’re always more than willing to help you succeed.”
Ingram plans to pursue more law enforcement schooling in the future in the hopes of becoming a K9 handler for Graham County.
“This is a wonderful group. We are extremely proud of their success in the program,” said BLET Instructor Zach Dezarn. “We know these students will have excellent careers, and they’re going to do a great job serving their communities.”
The next BLET course starts Jan. 7 and will run through June 9 at SCC’s Public Safety Training Center in Macon County.
For more information on the program or how to apply, please contact Dezarn at 828.306.7046 or z_dezarn@southwesterncc.edu.
