[Clinton, N.C.] – Sampson Community College’s (SCC) Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program has had the privilege of producing some of the finest law enforcement officers across North Carolina since 1985. One of those former students is Sergeant Moses Williams III, a 2020 BLET graduate who now serves with the Fayetteville State University (FSU) campus police.
Graduating from Lakewood High School in 1997, Williams enrolled in the BLET program at SCC in 2020 to obtain his Basic Law Enforcement Training Certificate. A Roseboro native, father of five, and U.S. Air Force veteran, Williams expressed his desire to “give back” to his community through law enforcement, hoping to connect with youth and other members of the African American community.
“I chose to pursue a career in law enforcement because it is an honorable profession, and it affords me the opportunity to give back to and help my community,” he remarked. “There are a lot of African American men that have not have positive experiences with police officers, so I try to let them see a different and more personable side of police officers. I also love to interact with the youth in different ways such as playing basketball with them at the outside court or doing speaking engagements in the community.”
Recalling his experience in BLET, Williams mentioned that his favorite part was witnessing comradery develop between cadets— bringing thirteen individuals together to create a team. He also enjoyed the overall challenge of the program, one that, in his eyes, required “discipline, responsibility, and time management” to complete.
He elaborated, “I learned so much from BLET and got a chance to interact with people with various types of experience. I absolutely enjoyed the program! I loved feeling challenged, and the training and tests in the program were challenging. As the challenges got harder, we grew tight and became a team. It was awesome to see.”
Williams remarked that Anthony Davis, BLET Director & Instructor, and Captain Robert Stroud, BLET Program Qualified Assistant (QA) influenced him greatly during his time in the program. Appointing him the first class-president, he voiced that their confidence in him served as motivation to perform to the best of his ability in every aspect of BLET.
“I have had the opportunity to observe, coach, mentor and teach hundreds of recruits,” Stroud recalled of Williams. “And Moses is undoubtedly the most remarkable person I have had the pleasure to meet. He’s just a great person.”
To this day, Williams continues to keep in contact with both Stroud and Davis, returning to assist with the program in any way he can. According to Stroud, Williams exemplified the core values of the program in both his character and performance—influencing their decision to include humility as a value.
Stroud continued, “It was an honor to have met Moses and to have him as a recruit in the program. He exemplifies the core values of the program. In fact, he and his father were instrumental in a decision to have humility as one of those values. Having only met his father one time before his passing, I knew where Moses got his humbleness. Moses exceled in the program. He was the leader of his class and is a great mentor to future classes. We enjoy having Moses on campus when new recruits come in for their journey in the program.”
Williams currently serves as a Patrol Sergeant with FSU’s campus police. A general workday for him consists of interacting and ensuring the safety of students, faculty, and staff on campus during a 12-hr shift. However, his duties also entail: enforcing laws and regulations to ensure the safety of the public; working special events and sporting events; directing traffic and handling accidents; providing roll call training; and vehicle/equipment inspections for officers on his patrol.
“I wanted the opportunity to have an impact on the youth in college,” he said of his position at FSU. “I wanted to interact with them and learn about their outlook on life. I also wanted to continue my education at the college.”
In the future, Williams hopes to promote to Patrol Commander and attend graduate school to earn his Masters of Social Work. He hopes to become a part-time counselor in addition to his law enforcement career, and upon retirement, transition to full-time work in counseling.
Looking back, Williams credits SCC’s BLET program with preparing him for success in his current work. He believes that the knowledge and relationships built at the College helped him promote to Sergeant in just three years of working within his department.
“The training I received at the SCC BLET Program was second to none,” he closed. “The scenario-based training and firearms training allowed me to come in and complete my field training officer program and start working quickly. SCC’s BLET program brings in top notch instructors with years of experience on the job to teach and train students. Chief Davis and Captain Stroud have the best interest of the program at heart and continue to make the program better year after year!”
Successful completion of the BLET curriculum certificate program requires that students satisfy the minimum requirements for certification by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, including 640-hours minimum of instruction and passing the POPAT course. Graduates will possess skills to function as a law enforcement officer in state, county, and municipal governments in North Carolina.
Sampson CC extends its appreciation to Sergeant Williams for his service and commitment to ensuring the safety of college students on the FSU campus. The College is proud to have played a role in his law enforcement career and looks forward to seeing all he will continue to do help students succeed.
For more information about the BLET program or how to enroll, visit www.sampsoncc.edu/blet
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
