Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)

1. Successfully complete and pass all units of study.
2. Take the Police Officer Physical Abilities Test (POPAT).
3. Complete 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, you will be eligible for probationary certification as a law enforcement officer or deputy sheriff.

Sponsored cadet graduates are 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 North Carolina.

To be successful in the academy, you need to be prepared both physically and mentally. Candidates participate in strenuous physical fitness training at least three days per week to prepare for the Police Officer’s Physical Ability Test. The test includes running, pushups, rolling with a 100-pound grappling bag, scaling a 4-foot fence, and dragging a 175-pound mannequin.

In consultation with your physician, you should begin a fitness training regimen that increases your strength, endurance, and aerobic activities. You should strive to do the following before you begin the academy:

• 40 pushups in 1 minute
• 40 sit-ups in 1 minute
• 2-mile run (without stopping) in 18 minutes

Your goal should also be to complete this sample workout on a 400-meter track:

• Laps 1, 3, 5, 7: run at a moderate pace
• Lap 2: Run 100 meters, stop at Station 1 and perform 10 jump squats; run 100 meters, stop at Station 2 and perform 10 sit-ups; run 100 meters, stop at Station 3 and perform 10 jump burpees; run 100 meters, stop at Station 4 and perform 10 pushups.
• Lap 4 same as Lap 2, with 20 reps at each station
• Lap 6 same as Lap 2, with 30 reps at each station
• Lap 8 same as Lap 2, with 40 reps at each station

Please review the process below. If you have questions before applying, please contact William "Daryl" Loftis at wdloftis@gtcc.edu.

To register and apply:

1. Review the requirements* for beginning the program (See FAQ).
2. Attend an orientation where you will:
   1. Complete an application to attend the program.
   2. Complete additional forms and provide copies of required documents.
3. Participate in an in-person meeting with BLET staff to review documentation and medical forms.

*You must be hired or sponsored by a local or N.C. State law enforcement agency.

The academy meets primarily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday for 17 weeks on GTCC's Jamestown Campus. The classes are offered a minimum of twice each year: January-May and August-December. On occasion, there will be required evening classes.

Upcoming sessions will begin on April 1, 2024, and Aug. 1, 2024.

Financial aid is available if you qualify. Please visit the Financial Aid or call the Financial Aid office at 336-334-4822, option 3.

The cost is about $800 for uniforms, textbooks, and supplies. Course tuition will be waived for you with a signed sponsorship from an appropriate in-state law enforcement agency.

In addition, if you wish to continue your education and attain an associate degree, you may consider participating in the Criminal Justice Fellows program which will provide forgivable educational loans to participants who agree to enter an eligible criminal justice profession in North Carolina.

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 TABE placement test at the GTCC Assessment Center. To register for the TABE:
   • Go to RegisterBlast.
   • Select Jamestown Campus.
   • Select "Face-to-Face TABE for PD, FD, and EMS."
   • Carefully read the exam description to make sure that you are signing up for the correct test.
   • Select an available time and date to test.
   • Fill in all of the requested contact information. (We need a way to contact you.)
   • Read the testing policies and check "I agree to follow the above guidelines."
   • Fill in the needed information. (This info is required so we can create your student account before you arrive on the day of your test.)
   • Click "Add to Cart."
   • Click the green "Complete Registration."
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 driver's license.
7. You must have a copy of your valid Social Security card.

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 are not limited to rape; any sexual offense; indecent liberties; use, sale, or manufacture of controlled substances; or any offense which addresses public morality.

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, and/or sealed college transcripts mailed to GTCC. Necessary copies of records will be needed for the face-to-face meeting with the BLET coordinator.
8. Certified Criminal History Records, from any county in any state in the continental United States where you have lived since becoming an adult.
9. North Carolina driver history record (doesn't have to be certified)
10. Copy of the TABE testing results

Forms will be provided during the orientation session.

A sponsorship is a law enforcement agency's agreement that they have reviewed your background and believe you are a qualified candidate for Basic Law Enforcement Training. It is your responsibility to contact an agency and set up a meeting or interview with them or their agency head to discuss your background and qualifications.

The signed sponsorship form does not obligate the sponsoring agency to hire you after successfully completing the course, nor does it obligate you to take a job with the sponsoring agency.

Many agencies now will agree to hire you and send you to Basic Law Enforcement Training, instead of sponsoring you. This process takes longer, so should you have an interest in being hired, you need to start the process for entry into the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program a few months in advance of the start date of the academy.

Included in the Basic Law Enforcement Training packet provided at orientation, is a sponsorship form that needs to be signed by someone at a law enforcement agency. GTCC will accept a sponsorship from any agency in North Carolina, such as a municipality, county, or North Carolina state.

If you have trouble finding a sponsor, please contact William "Daryl" Loftis, program coordinator for assistance at wdloftis@gtcc.edu or 336-334-4822, ext 50058.

No. There is no mandated monetary assistance from your sponsoring agency, nor is there any promise to employ you upon successful completion of the academy.

The signed sponsorship form from the agency waives your tuition with the North Carolina Community College System for the program.