Police will also learn to address members of the public learning gender-neutral terminology
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A North Carolina police officer's body camera stopped a bullet that was shot by a woman in August while authorities were serving an involuntary commitment order. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department)
Citizens looking to become police officers in the state of North Carolina will have to undergo training that instructs them to use gender-neutral terminology when speaking with the public and learn from an article on gender identity, according to a proposed curriculum.
The 16-week Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) offered to people over the age of 20 in North Carolina is likely to see significant changes in 2025 at the behest of the state’s Department of Justice (DOJ), The Carolina Journal reported.
The DOJ’s Justice Academy, which operates the program, has been working to rewrite course sections as part of the BLET 2025 Project. The restructuring is being created by police chiefs, sheriffs, lawyers, academics, and subject-matter experts following a 2018 analysis.
Much of the restructuring means more training for recruits. The course is expected to jump from 640 hours to 868 hours. The 35% increase offers more hands-on training for deescalation and dealing with the mentally ill. Written materials will also rise to 4,492 pages, up from 2,840.
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The North Carolina DOJ is working to rewrite parts of the 16-week Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). ((Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images))
The BLET Advisory Group approved revisions to the curriculum in May 2023 that include using gender-neutral terminology when police address individual members of the public, under the section topic, "Communications Skills for Law Enforcement Officers."
Revisions to the Course Management Guide also direct instructors to a Healthline article titled "68 Terms That Describe Gender Identity and Expression." The material is meant to provide information on hate crimes.
John Locke Foundation Senior Fellow in Legal Studies Jon Guze said he was concerned about "politically correct" teachings in the new curriculum.
"This hardly seems like a productive use of time for police trainees and their instructors. Making matters worse, the same section of the proposed revision to the Course Management Guide directs instructors to the Human Rights Campaign and the Anti-Defamation League as sources to consult regarding which classes of people are vulnerable to hate crimes. Neither of those sources can be regarded as objective. On the contrary, both have been credibly accused of being biased," Guze said.
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The revisions to the curriculum include instructions on how to use gender-neutral terminology when addressing members of the public. (fstop123/Getty)
A pilot program for the curriculum changes has already been administered to students at Fayetteville Community College. The academy is expected to continue testing the new program with an additional 15 pilot courses at community colleges and law enforcement agencies across North Carolina.
"The Academy has begun implementation of the proposed BLET curriculum in pilot delivery sites throughout the state," wrote Alex Gazaway, the Justice Academy Training Manager, in a recent document. "The BLET Project Team continues to reconcile feedback, adjusted content, and revise both student and instructor materials for the next phase of pilot testing. I will be providing an overview of the curriculum status, course management issues and implementation."
The new curriculum is expected to be rolled out across 68 delivery sites next year following adjustments.
The North Carolina DOJ did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
