Ten graduate from Basic Law Enforcement Training

Ten students recently graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Isothermal Community College after completing nearly ten months of training.

The BLET program is the state-mandated course of study for anyone interested in becoming a certified law enforcement officer. The three students who completed the program were trained in 35 topics including criminal law, arrest, search, and seizure, driver training, defense tactics, firearms, and other related law enforcement topics.

The students who earned a graduation certificate for the 673-hour training program are Jason Adam Edwards, Dylan Shane Chapman, Amanda Gail Toney, Sheree Bettina Jones, Vivian Lorriane BaCote, Trevor Jacob Williams, Willis Langford, Aaron Smith, Carlos Borras and Erika Whitaker.

Those graduates are expected to go to work for the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Lake Lure Police Department, the Shelby Police Department, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, the Rutherfordton Police Department and the Spindale Police Department.

After an invocation and the National Anthem led by Isothermal VP Stephen Matheny, the audience was welcomed by Ava Yamouti, dean of Health and Public Services. The commencement address was given by Chief Mark Christopher Beddingfield of the Biltmore Forest Police Department. BLET director Philip Bailey presented the graduation certificates.

Jerry Brantley from Gideon's International gave a prayer for safety, graduate Edwards gave the final roll call and Bailey dismissed the audience and new graduates.

This is the 78th BLET class to graduate from Isothermal Community College since it began conducting the training in the late 1970's.

The next BLET class begins on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. For information, contact Brenda McFarland at 828-395-1668 or Bailey at 828-395-1644.