Pinehurst Today

Laws guide our relationships with each other, institutions, and government. Workers in the law enforcement sector enforce these laws. Those seeking a challenging and pride-evoking career should consider the Sandhills Community College Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program. The next BLET class will begin on August 15.

This program provides the essential skills required for entry-level employment as a law enforcement officer with a state, county, or municipal agency or in the private sector. “We are now seeing increased salaries and sign-on bonuses throughout the law enforcement profession,” says Director Robert Kehoe.

The SCC BLET program consists of classroom instruction and hands-on training that teaches the skills needed to begin work immediately. Subjects include, but are not limited to, criminal, juvenile, civil, traffic, and alcoholic beverage laws; investigative, patrol, custody, and court procedures; emergency responses; ethics and community relations.

Sandhills is one of the few BLET programs with a VirTra® simulator. The VirTra 300 is a state-of-the-art virtual simulator that contains five large screens for a 300-degree immersive training environment. This training environment recreates physiological stressors like an elevated heart rate and high adrenaline levels that officers experience during intense situations. In addition, the system provides training in de-escalation, use of force, dealing with mentally ill or disabled people, and communication skills. Because of the demands on law enforcement to make critical decisions in tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving situations, this training methodology is far above others.

Kehoe says, “We have trainees pursuing law enforcement as an initial career and students who are seeking a career change. For example, many of our students have recently retired from the military and seek a public safety job.”

The fall BLET session will be taught on the Pinehurst campus and begin on August 15. Class will meet from 8 am until 5 pm Monday through Friday and scheduled Saturdays. There is no cost to take the class, the State of North Carolina will pay tuition. There are out-of-pocket expenses for textbooks and uniforms, but the college may have resources to assist with such costs. All trainees must be 20 years of age at course completion. Applicants who are 19 years old may be accepted with a waiver.

Those interested in BLET should complete and submit their registration packet soon. For further information or to obtain registration material, contact Robert Kehoe at (910) 693-2666 or kehoer@sandhills.edu or Mary Lou Coffey at (910) 693-2667 or coffeym@sandhills.edu. 

Original source can be found here.