Veteran officer at the helm of BLET program

A veteran law enforcement officer is now leading a local program that provides training for the next generation of police officers.

Philip Bailey took over the position as director of the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Isothermal Community College earlier this year. Bailey began his career in law enforcement in 1987, and retired in January from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.

"I started in the North Carolina ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) and worked there for a year and a half. Once I got married, my wife and I moved here and I started as a patrolman with Forest City Police Department. It was there that I really learned the job and how to deal with people," he said.

During his time at RCSO, Bailey said he began doing more of the in-service training for officers, and for the last year had done scheduling.

"Through that role I worked with budgets and could see the classes officers really needed," he explained.

While he had taught a few BLET classes in the past, this role is the first where he will help to create the curriculum and work directly with instructors.

"My primary goal is to serve our customers - and those are the officers, the departments where they serve and society," Bailey said.

Through the curriculum, Bailey continued, a graduate will come out of the program with not only skills to get a job, but to also make them more competitive.

"Technology is now a part of an officer's job," Bailey explained. "Forms are computerized now rather than hand-written. It is my hope to have students spend eight months of class filling out reports. I've had feedback from our law enforcement agencies that this will cut down on field training."

Bailey also plans for students to gain more certifications, as well as driving skills.

"Movies show police officers jumping bridges, and it looks cool. But we want officers to be able to get from point A to point B without tearing up someone's property," he said.

Taking part in the BLET program isn't for the weak. It takes grit, Bailey said.

"We start in August and finish in March," he said. "Students have classwork as well as PT (physical training). Night classes are 4 hours each and day classes are 8 hours each."

Enrollment in Isothermal's BLET program has been steady, while other community colleges have seen a decline.

"One of the hardest things to convince someone to do is become a policeman, but so far, we are still seeing enrollment," he said. "Police work is steady, and it's a job where you know you will impact people's lives."

Day classes for the BLET program will begin in January, and registration is going on now. To register, call 828-286-3636. For more information on the program, visit isothermal.edu.