VGCC Graduates 14 Law Enforcement Cadets in School’s 90th BLET Class
Fourteen cadets graduated on Dec. 20, 2010 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 are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.
Graduates of VGCC’s 90th BLET class included Joshua Ray Coppock and Mark Anthony Harrison, both of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Aaron Rashod Evans and John James Rowan, both of the Henderson Police Department; William Walter Garrett and William Jonathan Wiggins, both of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Neal Edward Ward, Jr. of N.C. Parks & Recreation; Adam Daniel Norris, Noah Michael Pennell, Jimmy Bascom Wilborn, Jr. and Justin Neal Zimmerman, all of the Person County Sheriff’s Office; Donald Wayne Duke, Joshua Joseph Foulkrod and Wesley Aaron Strader.
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.
BLET students chose Inspector Matthew Nies of the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles and Agent Anthony Mills of N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement (both part-time instructors for the VGCC program) as their guest speakers. Cadet John Rowan spoke on behalf of his fellow graduates.
Nies and Mills formally presented certificates to the graduates. Pendergrass handed out awards to the top students in the class in three categories. William Jonathan Wiggins won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in weapons firing. Joshua Ray Coppock took the Physical Training Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo. Noah Michael Pennell 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 90, included, front row, from left, Joshua Ray Coppock, Donald Wayne Duke, Justin Neal Zimmerman, William Jonathan Wiggins, Aaron Rashod Evans and Noah Michael Pennell; back row, from left, Adam Daniel Norris, John James Rowan, Wesley Aaron Strader, Joshua Joseph Foulkrod, Mark Anthony Harrison, Jimmy Bascom Wilborn, Jr. and Neal Edward Ward, Jr., with law enforcement training coordinator Tony Pendergrass. Not pictured: William Walter Garrett. (VGCC Photo)
