Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)

Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) is an accredited program of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Commission and the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education & Training Standards Commission.

Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to sit for the written Comprehensive State Certification Examination, which is one of the many requirements mandated by the North Carolina Administrative Code for employment as a police officer or Deputy Sheriff.

The academy is a full-time program conducted over a period of 18 weeks and consisting of approximately 680 hours of training. Class sessions are held Monday through Friday starting at 8:00 a.m. with the schedule varying depending upon the training topic of the day. Occasional night training is mandated while enrolled in the daytime session. 

 

APPLY NOW! The next class begins April 3. COMPLETE YOUR GTCC APPLICATION TODAY!

Certification

Students must successfully complete and pass all units of study, the POPAT (Police Officer Physical Abilities Test) course, and the state certification examination mandated by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission to receive a certificate of completion. Upon satisfactory completion of all Academy requirements and a passing score on the Commission administered state examination, the student will be eligible for probationary certification as a law enforcement officer or Deputy Sheriff. Those graduates who complete the academy as sponsored Cadets are now eligible for employment and have one year from the date of the exam to be duly appointed and sworn as a law enforcement officer in N.C. 

Credentialing Options

Career Opportunities

Basic Law Enforcement

Frequently Asked Questions

You will need to follow the general enrollment process for GTCC.  During the advising process you will have the opportunity to indicate your desire to study within this curriculum. Your advisor will help you sign up for the specific courses you need.

The Academy meets primarily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday, for 17 weeks. It is offered at a minimum of twice each year: January-May and August-December. On occasion, there will be required evening classes.

Yes, Financial aid is available if you qualify. Please visit the Financial Aid web page or contact the Financial Aid office at 336-334-4822 Option 3.

There is a monetary cost if you are attending BLET at GTCC.  The course tuition will be waived for you when you secure a sponsorship from an appropriate in-state law enforcement agency.  This sponsorship does not free you of all debt because there will still be a cost of approximately $1,100.00 for uniforms, textbooks, and supplies.  The BLET director will explain these costs in more detail at a face-to-face meeting.

When you enter the Basic Law Enforcement Training program, you must meet the special requirements as indicated by the N.C. Criminal Justice Standards and the N.C. Sheriff’s Standards Divisions of the N.C. Department of Justice. You may not be convicted of any felony or serious misdemeanor offenses as defined by the Commission. You cannot be convicted of any offense of moral turpitude. Examples of moral turpitude are, but not limited to: rape, any sexual offense, indecent liberties, use, sale, or manufacture of controlled substances, or any offense which addresses public morality.

What are the requirements to attend Basic Law Enforcement Training?

  1. You must be a U.S. born or naturalized citizen.
  2. You must be 20 years old at the time of registration.
  3. You must take the T.A.B.E. placement test at the GTCC Assessment Center.
  4. You must have a Public Law Enforcement Agency sponsorship.
  5. You must have completed High School or have obtained a GED or equivalent.
  6. You must possess a valid North Carolina Drivers’ License.
  7. You must possess a copy of a valid Social Security Card.

  1. F-3 Personal History Statement 
  2. Sponsorship Form
  3. Copy of Birth Certificate
  4. Copy of N.C. Driver’s License
  5. Copy of Social Security Card
  6. Copy of DD-214, if military service completed
  7. Copy of High School Diploma or Transcripts, GED documents, College Transcripts (Sealed) and mailed to GTCC. Necessary copies of records needed for face to face meeting with BLET Coordinator
  8. Certified Criminal History Records, from any County in any state in the Continental United States where you have lived since being an adult.
  9. North Carolina Driver History Record (doesn't’t have to be certified)
  10. Copy of the T.A.B.E. testing results

It is an Enforcement Agency Head or his/her designee who has met and talked with you and is willing to sponsor you for Basic Law Enforcement Training. The signed sponsorship form does not obligate the sponsoring agency to hire you upon your successful completion of the course, nor does it obligate you to take a job with the sponsoring agency.

Included in the Basic Law Enforcement Training packet, you will find a sponsorship form that needs to be signed. We will accept a sponsorship from any agency in North Carolina to include: a municipal, county, or North Carolina state Law Enforcement Agency.

No. There is no mandated monetary assistance from your sponsoring agency nor is there any promise to employ you upon successful completion. Note: The signed sponsorship form from the agency does, in fact, waive your tuition with the North Carolina Community College System for the course.