(l-r) Eddie Stocks, Tarboro Rotary Club president, presents a check to Bernie Taylor, director of BLET, and ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod

Bernie Taylor, director of Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) at 91ӣ����Ƶ, recently spoke to members of the Tarboro Rotary Club and accepted a $4,000 donation in support of the BLET and Emergency Medical Services programs.

The BLET Academy is a 22-week program that prepares students for entry-level employment as law enforcement officers with state, county or municipal agencies. Taylor highlighted the academy’s recent success, including its largest entering and graduating class in 2025. Thirty-six cadets began the academy, and 32 completed the program.

Cadets complete extensive training, including shotgun and rifle instruction, firearms qualification, driver training, as well as certifications in baton, pepper spray, tasers and crisis intervention. Participants must complete 1,000 hours of training, an increase from previous state requirements. The current 17th BLET Academy began January 16 with 28 cadets; 22 remain enrolled.

The $4,000 donation from the Tarboro Rotary Club will be split evenly between the BLET and EMS programs to support students who experience emergencies that could otherwise prevent them from completing their training.

Adam Culbertson, ECC’s director of public services, was unable to attend the meeting but expressed his appreciation for the club’s continued support. “This funding is used to help students in need who want to begin their career in EMS,” Culbertson said. “I appreciate the Tarboro Rotary Club for their commitment to assisting ECC’s Public Safety programs in providing quality education to our community.”

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91ӣ����Ƶ’s Rocky Mount campus and the Rocky Mount Fire Department training grounds were the sites for ECC’s third annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation event. On Saturday, Oct. 4, students from ECC’s allied health programs, along with local stakeholders from Bertie County EMS, Eastern Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team, ECU East Care, Edgecombe County EMS, Rocky Mount Fire Department, Rocky Mount Police Department and Williamston Fire and Rescue convened to train for emergencies.

“Each year, we hold the Mass Casualty event to better prepare our students and external partners to respond to disasters that we know Eastern North Carolina could experience,” said Adam Culbertson, fire and EMS coordinator at ECC and organizer for the simulation. “This year’s event was the most complex thus far, as it involved a shooting, fire and hazardous materials. Even though this seems extreme, it is something that could happen anywhere.”

The training event began at 8am and included more than 40 responders and 100 volunteers. Approximately 75 students from EMS, nursing, respiratory therapy, radiography and surgical technology also participated.

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The graduates of 91ӣ����Ƶ’s 15th Basic Academy for Basic Law Enforcement Training earned a significant achievement and set an unprecedented mark.

Of the 36 cadets who began the academy on Oct. 3, 2024, 32 graduated from the program on Tuesday, March 11. The graduates were all recognized in the Keihin Auditorium on the Tarboro campus as the largest-ever graduating class from the college, exceeding the previous record by 11.

ECC can also tout the pass rate for the class on an exam mandated by the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission. According to BLET School Director, Bernie Taylor, of the 32 cadets who successfully completed their requirements of eligibility in order to sit for the state comprehensive certification examination, all 32 passed, achieving a 100 percent pass rate.

“Having 36 cadets enter the program with 32 successfully completing and passing the state exam, is a direct result of our staff of 50 plus instructors,” said Bernie Taylor, BLET school director. “Of those instructors, 95 percent work full-time in the law enforcement field and take time off, which could very well be spent with their family. Instead, they teach in our BLET program to preserve the future of law enforcement.”

ECC’s BLET Academy is a 22-week program that prepares students for entry-level employment as a law enforcement officer with state, county or municipal governments. During the academy, cadets receive Officer Survival Training, training in high-risk calls, as well as 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Team Training (CIT). CIT teaches students how to effectively respond to situations involving a mental health crisis or someone experiencing a developmental disability. CIT certification is nationally recognized. The academy also provides certification in tasers, pepper spray and expandable batons.

“Without the support of the law enforcement community, our program wouldn’t be as successful as it is,” continued Taylor. “Fifteen different law enforcement agencies from across eastern North Carolina sent their personnel to this basic academy.” Of the 32 who completed the academy, all 32 were hired by one of those law enforcement agencies.

The following graduated from ECC’s BLET Academy and have been hired by the law enforcement agencies listed beside their name.

• Emma Allen, Greenville Police Department
• Franklin Arias, Scotland Neck Police Department
• Hunter Baker, Northampton County Sheriff’s Office
• Ky’Mia Council, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Rochelle Gaskins, Washington County Sheriff’s Office
• Anthony Gonzalez, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Marcelo Guijarro, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Damontay Jackson, Farmville Police Department
• Johnathan LaGrone, Chowan County Sheriff’s Office
• Jessica Little, Tarboro Police Department
• Enriqueta Lotzin, Wilson Police Department
• Re’Killya Mallory, Northampton County Sheriff’s Office
• Hunter McGee, Greenville Police Department
• Allen Melton Jr., Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Danielle Melton, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Teresa Morales, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office
• Michael Morton, Farmville Police Department
• Thomas Proffitt IV, Farmville Police Department
• Christian Ramirez, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Isaac Randolph, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Christopher Roberts, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Marco Sanchez, Pinetops Police Department
• Dyllan Schoolfield, Edenton Police Department
• Jamoty Sharpe, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Tyler Simpkins, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Steven Smith, Wilson Police Department
• Derrick Thompson Jr, Tarboro Police Department
• Nolan Viverette, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Lucas Votava, Chowan County Sheriff’s Office
• Jermaine Whitaker, Winterville Police Department
• Dante Wiggins, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Tanner Wittig, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office

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ECC President, Dr. Greg McLeod, is pictured with Ryan Cox during his graduation from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program

To Ryan Cox, honing leadership skills is part of the pursuit of excellence in his role as chair of the Criminal Justice Technology program at 91ӣ����Ƶ.

He believes those who would have others learn from them must also learn. That’s why Cox was among the 35 who graduated this spring from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program.

“Participants attend four multi-day, in-person retreats filled with learning experiences, networking activities, and opportunities to discover and apply best practices aligned with pressing needs and issues facing North Carolina’s community colleges,” the program’s web page states. The program takes place over six months. Graduation was held in April at Forsyth Tech Community College in Winston-Salem.

Cox’s participation is another example of how ECC faculty and leadership prioritize professional development.

Cox has been at ECC since January 2021. He’s from the Midwest and moved with his family to North Carolina when he was 18. After a stint as a police officer in Concord, he joined the criminal justice faculty at Roanoke-Chowan CC in Ahoskie in 2007, where he stayed for five years. Cox was on the faculty at Nash CC for five years and then East Carolina University for more than three years before coming on board at ECC.

“I kind of read up on the program and just decided to apply,” Cox said, after receiving encouragement from Dean of Business, Industry and Technologies, Michael Starling, and Dean of Arts and Sciences, Christine Nicodemus. “It was an opportunity to sharpen my skills and at the same time, obtain new ones.”

Meeting at community colleges around the state, participants heard from a series of speakers from different leadership areas and colleges. Almost all speakers were program graduates, Cox said.

“And then the directors of the program would arrange activities to engage us with, whether it be team building or various leadership activities,” Cox said. “Then there was also a big project that they handed out to each one of us. They put us in groups based on our leadership styles, and within this group, we were tasked with completing a larger project.”

In that larger project, attendees were given a scenario in which they were leaders at a community college campus. Demographic information was provided, along with some of the issues facing that school. “They gave us a series of questions and problems to try to tackle,” Cox said. Teams were to present a strategy for meeting those challenges and how each group member fit in finding solutions, he said.

Although the “colleges” in the exercise were invented for the program, “These problems they presented us with are real problems that community colleges face,” Cox said.

“It was interesting; it was fulfilling; it was a little bit of fun, but there were some challenges for sure,” he said.

The primary challenge was logistics, he said. “We were only given a limited time at these retreats to work on it, so we had to come up with time on our own to try to meet up virtually,” he said. “All of our group members were at different community colleges, so it’s not like we could get together in shared space and work on this, so the logistics were a challenge, just trying to solve problems and have good solutions.”

Cox said one of the benefits of the program was “exposure to different leadership styles, and just the way people handle things and interpret things.”

“It’s interesting just to hear how each one of us would maybe handle a problem differently or similarly, and deciding what maybe is the best solution. … I think I grew as a leader,” he said.

“It’s certainly worthwhile and something I would recommend to my coworkers and fellow employees.”

Cox said the training will be of great value as he pursues the goal of starting a public safety administration program at ECC. “Part of my experience there was seeing some of the creative responses you can have, and leaning on other people,” he said.

“Sometimes leadership is just understanding that you don’t have all the answers,” he continued. “Part of leadership is, if you don’t have all the answers, tap into the resources that you have, and find someone who might, someone who will help you.”

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Shown with BLET School Director Bernie Taylor (far left) are graduates of 91ӣ����Ƶ’s 14th Basic Academy of Basic Law Enforcement Training.

Twenty-one cadets graduated from 91ӣ����Ƶ’s 14th Basic Academy of Basic Law Enforcement Training on July 2.

The graduation ceremony featured comments by Zami McDuffie, platoon leader of the 14th Basic Academy.

Graduates and their agencies are:

• Dylan Ballard, Goldsboro Police Department
• Emanuel Boyd, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Payton Brown, Murfreesboro Police Department
• Rylan Carter, Tarboro Police Department
• Ashley Cherry, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Anastasia Clifford, Chowan County Sheriff’s Office
• Cody Cook, Roanoke Rapids Police Department
• Brandon Davis, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Antoine Eaton, Northampton County Sheriff’s Office
• Eric Farthing Jr., Farmville Police Department
• Jeremiah Jenkins, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Montana Jones, Hertford County Sheriff’s Office
• Zami McDuffie, Northampton County Sheriff’s Office
• Isaac Miller IV, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office
• Zachary Perry, Rocky Mount Police Department
• Sidney Pierce, Edenton Police Department
• Demurio Pillmon, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• William Plyler II, Roanoke Rapids Police Department
• Jewel Shannon, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Isaiah Sorto, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Johnny Williams III, Greene County Sheriff’s Office

All of the graduates are in the process of being hired by the law enforcement agencies.

ECC’s BLET Academy prepares students for entry-level employment as a law enforcement officer with state, county, or municipal governments. The cadets completed an intensive 22-week program and have passed the certification exam mandated by the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

The BLET program is unique in that it includes training in high-risk calls; certification in tasers, expandable batons, and pepper spray; and Officer Survival Training. Graduates also receive 18 college credit hours toward an associate degree in criminal justice.

In addition, cadets complete a 40-hour block of Crisis Intervention Team Training, also known as CIT Training. This training teaches the cadets how to de-escalate volatile situations involving individuals in mental crisis or suffering from developmental disabilities.

Upon certification, cadets receive a CIT pin for their uniform. This pin and the training are nationally recognized, especially by the population suffering from developmental disabilities. When individuals see the CIT pin on the officer’s uniform, that alone can help to de-escalate the encounter.

CIT Training is a recent addition to ECC’s BLET curriculum and sets the program apart from other programs.

The college’s next Basic Academy for BLET begins October 3. To learn more, please contact (252) 618-6613 or taylorb@edgecombe.edu.

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The Tarboro Rotary Club recently contributed $2,000 to the Basic Law Enforcement Training program at 91ӣ����Ƶ. The funds will support scholarships for BLET students. From left are Tarboro Rotary and ECC officials Tom Thorne, Eddie Stocks, Dr. Greg McLeod, Bernie Taylor, and Greg Sessoms.

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Shown with BLET School Director Bernie Taylor (far left) are graduates of 91ӣ����Ƶ’s 13th Basic Academy of Basic Law Enforcement Training: (l-r) John Carl, Pinetops Police Department; Cody Garland, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office; Lindsay Brand, UNC Health Nash Company Police Department; Windsone Sifralien, Vance County Sheriff’s Office; Tiara Winstead, Nash County Sheriff’s Office; Joseph Roach, Winterville Police Department; Na’eem Whitfield, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office; Joshua Hudson, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office; Zurisadai Serrano-Gomez, Tarboro Police Department; Michael Conwell, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office; Nelson Madrigal Jr., Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office; Sean Pena, Winterville Police Department; Dashawn Mizzelle, Ahoskie Police Department; and Keshawn Best, Edenton Police Department.

Fourteen cadets graduated from 91ӣ����Ƶ’s 13th Basic Academy of Basic Law Enforcement Training on November 7.

The graduation ceremony featured comments by Joseph Roach, cadet in the 13th Basic Academy, and Michael Conwell, platoon leader of the 13th Basic Academy.

Graduates and their agencies are:

• Keshawn Best, Edenton Police Department
• Lindsay Brand, UNC Health Nash Company Police Department
• John Carl, Pinetops Police Department
• Michael Conwell, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Cody Garland, Bertie County Sheriff’s Office
• Joshua Hudson, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office
• Nelson Madrigal Jr., Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office
• Dashawn Mizzelle, Ahoskie Police Department
• Sean Pena, Winterville Police Department
• Joseph Roach, Winterville Police Department
• Zurisadai Serrano-Gomez, Tarboro Police Department
• Windsone Sifralien, Vance County Sheriff’s Office
• Na’eem Whitfield, Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office
• Tiara Winstead, Nash County Sheriff’s Office

All of the graduates are in the process of being hired by the law enforcement agencies.

ECC’s BLET Academy prepares students for entry-level employment as a law enforcement officer with state, county, or municipal governments. The cadets completed an intensive 22-week program and have passed the certification exam mandated by the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

The BLET program is unique in that it includes training in high-risk calls; certification in tasers, expandable batons, and pepper spray; and Officer Survival Training. Graduates also receive 18 college credit hours toward an associate degree in criminal justice.

In addition, cadets complete a 40-hour block of Crisis Intervention Team Training, also known as CIT Training. This training teaches the cadets how to de-escalate volatile situations involving individuals in mental crisis or suffering from developmental disabilities.

Upon certification, cadets receive a CIT pin for their uniform. This pin and the training are nationally recognized, especially by the population suffering from developmental disabilities. When individuals see the CIT pin on the officer’s uniform, that alone can help to de-escalate the encounter.

CIT Training is a recent addition to ECC’s BLET curriculum and sets the program apart from other programs.

The college’s next Basic Academy for BLET begins February 5. To learn more, please contact (252) 618-6613 or taylorb@edgecombe.edu.

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91ӣ����Ƶ instructor Ryan Cox has completed a yearlong Advising Leadership Academy hosted by the North Carolina Community College System Office.

Ryan Cox, Criminal Justice department chair at 91ӣ����Ƶ, recently completed the Advising Leadership Academy hosted by the North Carolina Community College System Office.

During the yearlong intensive training, participants were required to attend four professional development sessions and complete a yearlong Moodle course. Moodle is the primary course management system used for the delivery of online and hybrid courses.

In addition, participants created an advising project assessing an area they would like to improve at their institution. As his project, Cox created a blueprint for a new faculty advising orientation. “I thought that an orientation for new faculty may help ease the anxiety for advisors and hopefully prevent any advising reluctance or apathy,” he explains.

Cox added that he focused on an advising orientation for new faculty for several reasons. “First, I came to ECC from another institution where I wasn’t responsible for any advising, so I thought the Advising Leadership Academy would help to erase the advising rust I had accrued from being away from it.

“Second, I was curious as to what kinds of practices were going on in the state and what new trends and ideas other institutions are implementing. I’ve always been a firm believer in advising and its tremendous importance in providing the best possible educational experience for students.”

Cox joined the ECC faculty in January 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western Carolina University, a master’s degree in criminal justice from Keiser University-Ft. Lauderdale, and a graduate certificate in sociology from Appalachian State University. In addition to his role in the classroom, he is active in the life of the college. He cochairs the Distance Learning Committee and is a member of the Moodle Support team.

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The Tarboro-Edgecombe Golden Seniors Club recently presented $250 to 91ӣ����Ƶ to support students in the Basic Law Enforcement Training program. From left are Lynwood Roberson, executive director of the ECC Foundation; Bernie Taylor, BLET school director; John Walker, club president; and Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president.

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Officers from Nash Correctional Institution recently visited a criminal justice class at 91ӣ����Ƶ to discuss careers in criminal justice. Shown with the students are (l-r) Instructor Ryan Cox, Sgt. McLeod, Special Risks Groups Sgt. Randle (4th from left), and Programs Director Wilson (far right). ECC offers a two-year degree in criminal justice and several certificate options that can be completed in two semesters. Online options are also available. Fall classes at ECC begin August 17. Learn more at edgecombe.edu.

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