VGCC Graduates 10 New Law Enforcement Officers in School’s 86th BLET Class
Ten cadets graduated Dec. 18, 2008 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course at Vance-Granville Community College in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all ten are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.
Graduates of VGCC’s 86th BLET class included Jason Lee Baird and Brandon McLean Bass, both of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Chad Lewis Evans and Daniel Stuart Wester, both of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Joshua Ryan Freeman and Joseph Michael Gwinn, both of the Henderson Police Department; Eric Alexander Gaither and Jessica Brooke Williams, both of N.C. Parks and Recreation; Tabitha Denise Johnson of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office; and Daryl Lee Winstead.
Tony Pendergrass, the VGCC coordinator of law enforcement training, praised the class for completing 624 hours of grueling training over 16 weeks. Pendergrass also thanked the 45 instructors who helped train the class, the local sheriffs, chiefs of police and administrators who support the program, and the families and friends who supported and encouraged the students. “As you’ve heard from the cadets, BLET is not easy, it’s challenging,” said Pendergrass. “We try to make the training as realistic as possible.”
BLET students chose Lt. J. Greg Champion of Butner Public Safety, who is also a BLET instructor and graduate of the VGCC program, to be their guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. Champion urged the new officers to continue learning, to maintain high ethical standards and to show respect to others in order to be respected by the public. Class president Joshua Freeman spoke on behalf of his fellow students, saying that class members had “developed a bond” like “brothers and sisters.”
Champion and Greg Hughes, a VGCC law enforcement/corrections instructor, presented certificates to the graduates. Pendergrass handed out awards to the top students in the class in three categories. Evans won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in weapons firing. Freeman took the Physical Training Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo. While doing so, Freeman set an all-time VGCC record. Wester was presented with the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the 35 written tests each cadet must take and pass.
For more information on the BLET program , contact Tony Pendergrass .
Above: Graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 86 are, front, from left: Jason L. Baird, Brandon M. Bass, Tabitha D. Johnson, Joseph M. Gwinn and Chad L. Evans; back, from left: coordinator Tony Pendergrass, Joshua R. Freeman, Daryl L. Winstead, Daniel S. Wester and Eric A. Gaither. Not pictured: Jessica B. Williams. (VGCC Photo)
