Southwestern Community College provides the North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training program mandated by the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and by the NC Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission. This program will provide the student with the knowledge and minimum requirements needed for certification by the Criminal Justice Commission and/or the Sheriff’s Commission. The College also offers in-service and advanced speciality training to law enforcement agencies.

Southwestern is the coordinating college to the Western North Carolina Criminal Justice Regional Planning and Training Program. Through this program, the 16 westernmost community colleges, serving 31 counties, work together to serve the comprehensive education and training needs of criminal justice personnel in North Carolina, with special emphasis on addressing unmet training needs.

In addition, a basic training program designed to prepare Seasonal Park Rangers to perform law enforcement in areas administered by the National Park Service is offered. Classes meet for a ten-week period from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with some evening and Saturday sessions. Graduates of the program are eligible to receive a type II law enforcement commission as a Seasonal Ranger with the National Park Service at one of the more than 300 parks, monuments and other facilities of the Park Service in the contiguous 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

The College offers the N.C. Detention Officer certification program mandated by the North Carolina Sheriff's Education and Training Standards Commission. Other state certification programs offered include: General Instructor Training, Telecommunicator Training, Radar Training, Standarized Field Sobriety and others. Also offered are training programs which lead to the following professional certification programs:

Law Enforcement Officers' Professional Certification Program:
• Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certification

Criminal Justice Officers' Professional Certification Program:
• Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certification

Professional Certificate Program for Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs:
• Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certification

Professional Certificate Program for Detention Officers:
• Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Certification

In order to be eligible for one or more of the above programs, entry level qualifications must first be met. Awards are based on a formula, combining formal education, training and actual experience as an officer/professional in the field.

Certification is awarded by the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission or the N.C. Sheriff's Education and Training Standards Commission.

Various specialized law enforcement courses are conducted in the area served by Southwestern Community College including: communications, courtroom procedures, Criminal Investigation, Criminal Law and Procedure, Defensive Tactics, Firearms Training, first aid, detention and narcotics and dangerous drugs.

See the SCC, Education Programs, PSTC, website for additional information and schedules of training.