A-B Tech’s Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program presented certificates and awards on June 8 to its Spring 2023 graduates.
The 15 students, who range in age from 20 to 65, also achieved a 100% passing rate on their state certification exams, the best performance in over a decade. Most of the graduates will immediately begin working for local law enforcement agencies that sponsored their BLET training.
Training graduates.
“This is the best class I’ve had the privilege of directing,” said BLET Director Daryl Fisher, who returned to the director’s position last fall. “I feel renewed, and this class has been inspiring. Through them, we’re changing the future of law enforcement.”
Fisher also touted the graduates’ performance in the stringent BLET curriculum, comprised of academics, physical, and skills training required by the state, and additional training modules required by A-B Tech covering emotional intelligence, cultural diversity, and de-escalation.
“A-B Tech added the extra training before the George Floyd incident in 2020 because we recognized that our society was changing,” Fisher said. “Change has to come from within.”
Associate BLET Director Jeff Augram, a former police chief who also returned to the BLET program last December, concurred. “I had stepped away from education, the Sheriff’s Office, and my position as board chair of the fire department for ten years to regroup,” he said. “I had to pull myself up and reinvigorate my passion for the work. This class helped a lot—their energy, involvement, dedication, passion, and desire to learn really inspired me.”
Anna Green, who represented her class as graduation speaker, also received the Trailblazer Leadership Award, its top honor. She moved to Asheville from Alabama to change her life and career last year and now has a job with the Asheville Police Department. Her previous career was as a professional sign language…
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