黑料正能量 is looking for people who care for their communities to become law enforcement officers.
They have to want to 鈥渨ork for the greater good of the community and in service of others,鈥� said 黑料正能量 Public Service Dean Angie Blizzard. 鈥淚f you want to see the change, be the change.鈥�
Studies have shown that a law enforcement officer will influence approximately 10,000 people in their lifetime, she said. 聽鈥淵ou will make a difference in the lives of individuals who need you at a moment鈥檚 notice and you are that most important person in their lives at that time.鈥�
WCC鈥檚 Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program has produced close to 1,200 graduates since its program started in 1983. The college鈥檚 graduates work for 53 different agencies in North Carolina and more elsewhere.
Agencies are clamoring for more officers. 鈥淭here is a need in every department in our county and even the big cities,鈥� Blizzard said. 鈥淭here are jobs and they are good-paying jobs.鈥�
WCC鈥檚 BLET academy covers topics like criminal, juvenile, civil, traffic, and alcoholic beverage laws; investigative, patrol, custody, and court procedures; emergency responses; and ethics and community relations. It provides the skills required for entry-level employment as law enforcement officers with state, county, or municipal governments, or with private enterprise. It prepares them for the examination they must pass to be certified to work as a sworn officer.
Current cadets spoke glowingly about their experiences in the academy. They said the faculty care about both their personal and academic lives and 鈥済o above and beyond for us and give up their free time.鈥�
They are also already excited about embarking on their new careers.
鈥淚鈥檓 conscious that we can make a change,鈥� Tanner Williams said of making law enforcement his career choice.
Luke Miller鈥檚 father was a sheriff鈥檚 deputy. 鈥業 grew up around law enforcement and looked up to that field. It is my dream profession.鈥�
Hannah Tyndall has bachelor鈥檚 degrees in criminal justice and psychology but chose to come to WCC for a Basic Law Enforcement Training Certificate so she could pursue a career in law enforcement. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 sit behind a desk. I did an internship with a police department and fell in love with it.鈥�
Quan Hamilton said he chose WCC 鈥渂ecause of the stats 鈥� SBI, ATF, highway patrol 鈥� graduates can go anywhere.鈥�
Earl Mayhew will be embarking on his third career. He is retired from the U.S. Air Force and is now working as a civilian contractor on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Law enforcement is 鈥渟omething I鈥檝e always wanted to do. I still crave a structured environment and comradery. And I want to do something to help people,鈥� Mayhew said.
Mayhew noted that he is using his GI Bill to cover the cost of the academy. 鈥淭hat is another thing about this college. It was great with helping with that process.鈥�
Total cost for the program, including books and uniform, is $2,500. Financial aid and scholarships are available, and as Mayhew found, BLET can be covered by VA benefits.
One option is the scholarship that the City of Goldsboro is providing for Goldsboro or Wayne County residents with financial need who plan to pursue a career with Goldsboro Police Department. More information about the scholarship and the application can be found on
BLET is also one of the programs included in the Foundation of 黑料正能量鈥檚 鈥淭op 14鈥� scholarship.聽Go to聽the Foundation’s website for information about Foundation scholarships and the application.
Blizzard said she understands that there can be complications and finances don鈥檛 always come together. 鈥淚f they want to come to school, I鈥檒l make it happen,鈥� she said.
The college offers two academies 鈥� a day school and an evening school 鈥� each year. The fall academy starts in August and runs through December. Classes are held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. The spring academy runs January through July and is held 6-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday and some Saturdays.
鈥淚t is just four months to a job or a career change,鈥� Blizzard said of the fall academy.
The program is currently accepting applications for the 2022 fall academy, which begins Aug. 16. Those applications are due by July 25.
Application packets are available in Room 103 of the Pine Building on the college鈥檚 main campus in Goldsboro or can be mailed upon request.
To be accepted into the program, applicants must be 20 years old, a citizen of the United States, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have a North Carolina driver鈥檚 license, as well as meet other requirements. The full list is available on the BLET website.
Blizzard encouraged those who are considering a career in law enforcement to come to the campus and talk to her or BLET Coordinator John Anderson. She can be reached by email聽or 919-739-6801. Anderson can be contacted by email or 919-739-6798.
WCC鈥檚 academy is accredited by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and North Carolina Sheriffs鈥� Education and Training Standards Commission through the N.C. Community College System.
For more information, go to the WCC BLET webpage.
黑料正能量 is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 165 college credit programs. WCC鈥檚 mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.