Events
Law Enforcement Graduates Ready to Serve and Protect
RALEIGH, N.C. (December 5, 2024) – A new class of highly trained law enforcement officers who want to serve and protect local communities is ready to start.
Thirteen cadets graduated Thursday from Wake Tech's rigorous Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) Academy. Many of the graduates have already been hired at local law enforcement agencies, including police departments in Cary and Fuquay-Varina, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and WakeMed Campus Police & Public Safety.
The cadets received certificates and awards in front of proud family members and friends during a ceremony at the Southern Wake Campus. Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls congratulated the cadets and thanked them for choosing a career in law enforcement.
"We are so thankful you chose the BLET program here at Wake Tech," said Ralls. "We are also thankful you chose a life of service. We want you to know how much we appreciate you."
Wake Tech's BLET program includes 768 hours of training, and cadets are required to pass the Police Officers Physical Ability Test (POPAT), a timed series of search-and-rescue, physical agility and mental alertness drills.
Five cadets received awards for their accomplishments:
- Award of Excellence – Highest Academic Average: Bryannca Morgan
- Johnny Blackman Memorial Award – Most Physically Fit: David Brunetz
- Award of Excellence – Highest Firearms Average: Jonathan Pickering
- Best POPAT: David Brunetz
Wake Tech also recognized graduate Thedric Moseley with a special award named in honor of Knightdale Police Officer Ryan Hayworth, a Wake Tech BLET graduate who was killed in the line of duty in 2021. Hayworth's family was on hand to present the award.
Moseley, who is also class sergeant, offered encouragement to his fellow graduates.
"Law enforcement is a calling, and we all answered the call. Thanks to the training we received here at Wake Tech, we are ready for success," he said. "To the agencies that have already hired some of us, you got some great officers!"
Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Tim Smith was the guest speaker. Smith, who has dedicated more than 24 years of service to the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, had advice for the new officers.
"You have the skills, heart and determination you need. Take what you have learned at Wake Tech and make a difference in your community," he said. "Don't just meet the standards – exceed them. Be the best version of yourself every day."
Wake Tech was the first community college in North Carolina – and the second in the nation – to earn CALEA® accreditation for its Public Safety Training Academy. CALEA®, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, recognizes best practices and professional excellence in policy and practice.
The Public Safety Education Campus provides training for law enforcement and corrections officers, firefighters and State Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security personnel.
The college's state-of-the-art Public Safety Simulation Complex, at Wake Tech East in Wendell, offers comprehensive reality-based training for first responders from across the county, state and other parts of the country. Wake Tech's EMS program is also offered at the complex.
