A-B Tech’s Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program graduated 16 officers on June 20 who will go on to fill gaps in local law enforcement.
BLET Director Daryl Fisher said he had a 100 percent pass rate on the state licensing exam. The program is rigorous, comprised of academics, physical and skills training required by the state as well as additional modules required by the college that emphasize emotional intelligence, cultural diversity, and de-escalation. Mental health training is also being emphasized for more police nationwide. The additional training benefits the college’s students, Fisher said, by making them more patient and empathetic active listeners. “We stress the importance of building rapport with the communities we serve and doing so while enforcing the law equally and fairly,” he said.
The class of 2024 was comprised of students between the ages of 20 and 58. Many, like class sergeant James Kelley, came seeking a career change. Kelley, 32, has an associate’s degree in industrial systems technology and has been working at Pactiv Evergreen Paper Mill in Canton. When the mill announced plans for closure, Kelley began seeking work and settled into an electrical job working on power lines. He soon realized the job was not meaningful enough for him, but wasn’t sure where to go next. Then Kelley’s wife saw a posting for a job opening at the Maggie Valley police department. “I felt the Lord was calling me to make a difference,” Kelley said. He applied and was offered the job. The department then paid for him to do A-B Tech’s BLET program. After graduating, Kelley will start out doing patrol and hopes to be a detective long term. “I like to figure things out,” he said.
For now, the graduate is savoring his success and enjoying being able to spend time with his wife and two children after six months of intense physical and mental training. “We were at school six days a week,” He said. “The hardest part for me was being away from my family. We got through it together and made it to the end.”
To learn more, visit the Basic Law Enforcement Training Overview or call (828) 398-7900. Prospective students also are invited to schedule tours of the Emergency Services campus at A-B Tech Woodfin.
2024 Award Winners:
- Highest Class Grade Average: James Joshua Kelley
- Highest State Exam Score: Hannah Claire Wells
- Most Improved Physical Fitness: Steven Ray Lawrence
- Top Gun Award: Trey Thomas Ruble
- Trailblazer Award: Hannah Claire Wells
- Instructional Excellence: Lieutenant James Boyce; Detective Matthew Brookshire
About A-B Tech
Founded in 1959 in the heart of Asheville, A-B Tech is the largest higher education institution in Western North Carolina, serving approximately 23,000 students a year in Buncombe and Madison counties. One of 58 community colleges in the NC Community College System, A-B Tech offers 190 degrees, diplomas, and certificates, as well as a wide range of workforce training and continuing education programs.
A-B Tech includes the main Asheville campus, A-B Tech Enka (home of the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Business Incubation Program, Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and N.C. BioNetwork), A-B Tech Madison, A-B Tech Woodfin, the Goodwill Center and the ABCCM Transformation Village in West Asheville, and a future location at Biltmore Park West.
Learn more at abtech.edu.