CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — It could soon take even longer to train to become a police officer in North Carolina. The Department of Justice is updating its Basic Law Enforcement Training curriculum to include more hands-on training and written materials.
Right now, people who want to join any law enforcement agency in the state must complete the BLET, which takes 640 hours. If approved, the new changes would rework the curriculum for a total of 868 hours.
Man arrested for alleged rape in east Charlotte
Walter Bowers is a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer-turned-attorney who represents some clients who’ve accused police of misconduct. The proposed new training would decrease lessons on constitutional law and first responders while increasing lessons in areas like firearms and ethical problem solving.
“Training for law enforcement is ongoing and continuous, but getting the initial training is the most critical because it sets the foundation,” Bowers said. “Any time you’re talking about how you can more effectively communicate with another person, that’s something that’s going to reduce the chance of excessive force being used and possibly reduce the chance of force being used at all.”