Basic Law Enforcement Training Graduates Score A 100 Percent

DALLAS, N.C.  – Fourteen graduates from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Gaston College recently completed their training and passed the state certification exam. Students in the class scored a 100% passing rate.

The BLET program spans over 18 weeks of intense training divided into 36 topics of instruction. Approximately 65% is in the classroom and 35% is practical hands-on training.

Students must master all 36 topics to be eligible to take the state certification exam. They are graded on written exams and practical skills. The exam is 300 questions that cover all topics of instruction. The students have a maximum of four hours to complete the exam that is administered by the N.C. Criminal Justice Standards Division out of Raleigh.

All law enforcement officers in N.C. are required to take this certification exam and must pass before they are eligible to be hired by any law enforcement agency in the state.

Graduates Justin Robinson and Brenda Robinson are married. They are the first husband and wife to come through a BLET class together at Gaston College.

“Our program began in January but in March it was shut-down for three weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we had to reschedule all remaining classes. BLET students had to make up any class time they missed, and the blocks of instruction were required to be delivered in a prescribed manner,” says Dennis Crosby, Director of the Criminal Justice Academy and Basic Law Enforcement Training.

“This was an excellent class of students that put in a lot of extra time, beyond the 648 hours of mandated training accompanied by steadfast studying for the state exam, and it paid off. About half of the students in the class already have jobs in law enforcement, and I predict the others will find employment soon now that they are certified. Some will go to work for Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, Gastonia Police Department, NC ALE, G4S Security, and Capitol Special Patrol.

He added, “It’s a very comprehensive and compacted program, where the students attend class about 36 hours a week,” says Crosby. “Students have reading assignments and homework, so it is not designed for individuals who work a full-time job.”

Special awards were presented to five graduates in the following categories:

• Top Gun – Top Firearms Student, Christopher Glen Parnell
• Driving Award – Top Student, Zachary Dale Duncan
• Police Officer Physical Abilities Test (POPAT) Challenge – Top Student Physical Training, Alex Colton Ledford
• Director’s Award – Top Overall Student, Savanna Nye Donahue
• Top Student Overall – State Exam, Savanna Nye Donahue