VGCC graduates 11 Law Enforcement Cadets in School’s 98th BLET Class
Eleven cadets graduated on May 13 from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College, in a ceremony held in the Civic Center on Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina. This class boasted a 100-percent passing rate on the state exam.
Graduates of VGCC’s 98th BLET class included William James Biggs, James Michael Fitzherbert and John Alexius Teer, all of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office; Joel Gresham Adcock, Jeffery Scott Canada and Christopher Mitchell Hester, all of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Jeremiah Lee Harris of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office; Andrade Olliver, Kevin Valton Parrish, Tyler Craig Parrott, and Benjamin Albert Splees.
In welcoming remarks, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, expressed her pride in what the cadets had achieved. “I appreciate the work you have done as students and what you will do working in law enforcement in our communities,” Williams said. She also saluted Tony Pendergrass, VGCC’s coordinator of law enforcement training, who was officiating at his final ceremony before he retires this summer. The president said Pendergrass had done “a tremendous job” with the BLET program in his 13 and one-half years as coordinator, and a total of 21 years as a law enforcement instructor.
Pendergrass praised the class for completing 624 hours of grueling training over 16 weeks. He also thanked the 35 instructors who helped train the class, the local sheriffs, chiefs of police and administrators who support the program, and the families and friends who supported and encouraged the students.
Graduates selected retired Oxford Police Department Capt. Glen Boyd, a part-time instructor for the VGCC program, to be their guest speaker. Boyd noted that this class had to deal with an unusual amount of winter weather, meaning that training had to be held on nights and weekends, adding, “You’re going into a field where that is exactly what you will have to deal with!” He encouraged graduates to “make a difference, one call at a time” while serving in their communities.
Cadet John Teer spoke on behalf of his fellow graduates. “We started off as a diverse group of guys from Durham County, Granville, Warren and everywhere in between, but we came together as a team through a lot of snow days,” Teer said. “Let’s get out there, do the right thing, and love every minute of it.”
Pendergrass handed out awards to the top students in the class in three categories. Adcock earned the Physical Training Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo. Canada won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in weapons firing. Teer took home the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the written tests each cadet must pass. Providing the invocation and benediction for the graduation ceremony was VGCC Male Mentoring program coordinator Dr. Tolokun Omokunde, who also serves as chaplain for the Oxford Police Department and Granville County Sheriff’s Office. For more information on the BLET program , contact Tony Pendergrass at pendergrass@vgcc.edu .
Above: On front row, from left, VGCC Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 98 graduates John Alexius Teer, Tyler Craig Parrott, Jeremiah Lee Harris, Kevin Valton Parrish, Christopher Mitchell Hester, and Benjamin Albert Splees; on back row, from left, VGCC law enforcement training coordinator Tony Pendergrass with graduates Andrade Olliver, Jeffery Scott Canada, William James Biggs, James Michael Fitzherbert, and Joel Gresham Adcock. (VGCC Photo)
