The University of North Carolina (UNC) System has launched its first Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) academy, which brings together campus police cadets from across the state. The inaugural class consists of 17 cadets representing various departments within the UNC System. The training is being held at the Samarcand Training Academy in Moore County.
Previously, campus police recruits attended training at different locations throughout North Carolina. With this new academy, the UNC System can now train cadets in a single setting, which is intended to strengthen collaboration and provide a shared foundation that addresses the specific public safety needs of university campuses.
“This is the first time the UNC System has been able to train our officers together from the start,” said Frederick Sellers, vice president for safety and enterprise risk management for the UNC System. “It gives us the opportunity to prepare officers with a common understanding of the campus environment and the expectations that come with serving our students, faculty and staff.”
The program fulfills North Carolina’s requirement of 868 hours of BLET instruction needed for law enforcement certification. The academy operates in partnership with both the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s Samarcand Training Academy and Sandhills Community College, which oversees BLET coursework. Topics covered include criminal law, firearms training, driver training, ethics, physical skills development, and crisis response.
A significant portion of instruction is provided by certified law enforcement officers from UNC campuses statewide. This allows cadets to receive training relevant to higher education environments while still meeting statewide standards for law enforcement.
System leaders believe this approach will better equip officers for work on college campuses due to their unique dynamics. The UNC System plans to offer one or two classes each year as part of efforts aimed at improving recruitment, retention, and readiness among campus police departments.