P.J. Monterio knew at a young age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps to serve and protect. The 2015 graduate of Robeson Community College Basic Law Enforcement Training academy, or BLET, is a special agent for the Alcohol Law Enforcement division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, working out of the Fayetteville district.

Graduating in 2011 from Lumberton Senior High School, Monterioe attended the U.S. Naval Academy for two years before being discharged because of an injury. Once back home, Monterio began to pursue his undergraduate degree at The University of North Carolina Pembroke and in 2016, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. While enrolled at UNCP, he took classes through Lenior Community College’s online Emergency Medical Training/Advanced Emergency Medical Training programs and RCC’s BLET program.

Monterio said he chose the RCC BLET course because it was local, which provided him the opportunity to continue his education at UNCP while working part time.

“While I was attending BLET day class, I was still a full-time student at UNCP and working part time with LREMS, part time with MedOne, part time with Lumberton Rescue, and volunteering as a technical rescuer, which made for a long few months,” Monterio said.

And while the course was challenging, it was fun, he said.

“It provided me with a solid foundation to begin my career in law enforcement. While no basic law enforcement training program can provide a recruit with everything they will need to know to safely and effectively complete this job, the instructors at RCC were very experienced and knowledgeable on each of their specific topics, which made bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world that much easier.” Monterio said.

According to Rudy Locklear, BLET director, Monterio had no problem understanding, comprehending and applying the concepts covered in his courses.

“I’ve always believed in his ability to be the best of the best,” Locklear said.

Locklear also said Monterio consistently impressed him with his professionalism, vision and personal sense of responsibility for his academic and professional career goals.

“It’s always tremendous to see a young professional with such personal introspection, willingness to challenge himself, and the ability to shift perspectives,” Locklear said.

Monterio worked several years as an advanced emergency medical technician with Lumberton Rescue and Robeson County EMS before he changed over to law enforcement.

“I greatly enjoyed the people I worked with at both LREMS and RCEMS, and I was able to learn a lot along the way as well, much of which would prove to be useful throughout my law enforcement career,” Monterio said.

In 2015, Monterio accepted a job with the Fayetteville Police Department as a patrol officer. In 2018, he became a special agent with the State Bureau of Investigation, working on criminal and drug cases.

“I wanted to focus more on drug investigations and more serious criminal investigations that normal patrol officers don’t necessarily get the opportunity to investigate,” Monterio said.

In January of 2019, he began work as a special agent with the Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, where he also serves as a tactical medic on the Special Operations Group.

According to Monterio, ALE special agents have statewide territorial jurisdiction and can arrest for any criminal offense occurring in their presence. This division focuses on criminal investigations that involve alcoholic beverages or occur at locations that alcohol is sold or served, such as nightclubs, gas stations, restaurants and illegal outlets, or shot houses.

“Historically, locations where alcohol is served or consumed, are prone to other criminal activity by their nature, such as gang activity, the sell and use of drugs, prostitution, gambling and violence,” Monterio said.

ALE also is responsible for enforcing state laws and regulations pertaining to ABC-permitted establishments.

Robeson Community College has offered Law Enforcement Training since 1972, when the program was then called Basic Recruit Training. In 1978, the Criminal Justice Training and Standards Council increased the minimum basic recruit training requirement from 160 hours to 240 hours. In 1997, after careful revision and legal review, new rules and guidelines were enacted. The newest Basic Law Enforcement Training manual premiered in August 2000 and included abundant practical exercises, new videos, and computer-generated audio-visual slides.

For more information on the BLET program, contact Rudy Locklear at 910-272-3480 or [email protected].