VGCC Graduates 11 New Law Enforcement Officers in School’s 85th BLET Class

Eleven cadets graduated May 27 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) course at Vance-Granville Community College in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all 11 are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.

Graduates of VGCC’s 85th BLET class included James D. Buchanan and Frederick Heisler, Jr., both of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; Russell S. Corley of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Gregory Faines, John R. Hammond, Brian R. Hobgood, Craig N. Steelman and Johnathan M. Thacker, all of the Henderson Police Department; Emily W. Tingen of the Person County Sheriff’s Office; Michael F. Gray, II and Seth O. Woods.

Tony Pendergrass, the coordinator of law enforcement training at VGCC, praised the class for completing 624 hours of grueling training over 16 weeks, and he encouraged them to continue learning and training. Pendergrass also thanked the 45 instructors who helped train the class, the local chiefs of police and sheriffs who support the program and the families and friends who supported and encouraged the students. The class was the fifteenth for Pendergrass as coordinator.

BLET students chose Sgt. Matthew Nies of the Henderson Police Department, who is also a BLET instructor, to be their guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. Nies welcomed graduates into the law enforcement family, and said that the training program was like a long job interview to enter their chosen profession. “You got a well-rounded education, and you are now prepared for careers as protectors of society,” Nies told the cadets.

Class president Russell S. Corley spoke on behalf of his fellow students, and said that VGCC’s program is “about as good as it gets.” Corley presented plaques of appreciation to Nies and Pendergrass.

Nies and Greg Hughes, a VGCC law enforcement/corrections instructor, presented certificates to the graduates. Pendergrass handed out awards to the top students in the class in three categories. Steelman won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in weapons firing, and Thacker took the Physical Training Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo. Tingen was presented with the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the 35 written tests each cadet must take and pass.

For more information on the BLET program, contact Tony Pendergrass at pendergrass@vgcc.edu.

Above: Graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 85 are, front, from left: Craig N. Steelman, James D. Buchanan, Frederick Heisler, Jr., Emily W. Tingen and Gregory Faines; back, from left: coordinator Tony Pendergrass, John R. Hammond, Johnathan M. Thacker, Seth O. Woods, Michael F. Gray, II and Russell S. Corley.(VGCC Photo)