Sworn to protect and serve his hometown

Daniel Averett comes full circle from Cadet to Black Mountain Police Officer

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 7, 2024

Officer Daniel Averett, the first teenager to join the Black Mountain Police Department Cadet Program, was sworn in as a BMPD officer, March 1. Photo by Fred McCormick

Like an untold number of Black Mountain children before him, Daniel Averett played cops and robbers with his friends and neighbors in the relative safety of his quaint community. While attending local schools, he passed the Black Mountain Police Department multiple times each day, occasionally envisioning a future in which he might serve his hometown.

In his freshman year at Owen, still intrigued by a career in the field, Averett learned of the developing BMPD Cadet program and became its first member. On March 1, as he stood before Chief Steve Parker and swore an oath to uphold the laws of the town, it marked a full-circle moment for the department’s newest officer, and its initiative to introduce local youth to careers in law enforcement.

Officer Averett first learned about the program through a former BMPD employee while the curriculum was being developed by Lieutenants Joe Kidd and Chris Staton. The teenager recruited three friends and the group represented the inaugural Cadet Corps class in early 2020.

“Growing up here, I knew people who were police officers and firefighters, and I always found it interesting to learn about what they did,” the 21-year-old officer said. “I’ve always loved this community and I enjoy talking and interacting with the people in it. One thing I learned almost as soon as I became a cadet is that this job puts you in touch with so many people in the community.”

Staton, an 18-year BMPD veteran who participated in an explorer program as a teenager, proposed the idea for a similar initiative for youth ages 15 to 20 to former chief Shawn Freeman in 2018. Kidd and Staton, who develop the curriculum and lead the course, have continued that work under Parker.

“We allow the cadets to come in and tell us what they want to learn about,” Kidd said. “We get with our sergeants and instructors and set a calendar for the year that features training on those things each month. The idea is really to keep them engaged.”

Averett quickly recalls what he and his fellow cadets were interested in during their first meeting.

“We were young, so we wanted to learn about drugs, how stop sticks worked and high-risk stuff like felony stops with lights and sirens,” he said. “But, with those things you almost immediately learn about the other side of law enforcement that most people don’t think about.”

One of his first realizations came when all feelings of nervousness and intimidation subsided.

“I think people look at police one way, but when you come in here and get to know them, you understand how they communicate and do their thing,” Averett said. “What I found was that this department is really like a family where everyone is talking to and checking in with each other all the time. It’s a supportive environment and that helps keep everyone on the same page.”

In that environment, according to Lieutenant Kidd, the young Averett emerged as a “de facto cadet commander.”

“He’s always been our go-to guy in a lot of ways,” Kidd said. “He attended every meeting and every special event and he always wants to learn more. He’s brought other cadets into the program and he organized so many of the events and projects, behind the scenes.”

Each year, participants in the cadet program are required to complete a community project and participate in events, including the annual Christmas parade, Sourwood Festival and BMPD Golf Tournament.

“The program is designed to keep them interested and motivated, especially since it’s training that they want to experience,” Kidd said. “Once they meet their training goals, we spend much of the end of the year preparing for special events.”

BMPD Officer Daniel Averett, who was sworn in, March 1, grew up down the street from the station. A pioneering cadet program, fully launched by the department in 2020, offered him an opportunity to pursue a career in law enforcement. Photo by Fred McCormick

Those aspects of law enforcement on the community level were particularly attractive to Averett, who built the cell that held the Grinch in last December’s parade.

“I think once you get a feeling for how much this department values doing things for the community, whether it’s this cadet program, or giving out Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts, or just being present at these community events, you really see the importance of a small town department in the community it serves,” Averett said. “We have a unique opportunity to help people, outside of what people see as traditional law enforcement.”

Entering its fourth year, the program has hosted 12 cadets, including two current members. Of the dozen participants in the course, Averett and Aidan Nalley are currently full-time officers with the BMPD. Another former cadet, Jackson Stone, will likely join the department in May, when he completes Basic Law Enforcement Training at McDowell County Technical Community College.

“You have these young people in the community who at least have an interest in what we do here,” Kidd said. “This program gives them an opportunity to learn what this job is really like, and that can become a path to a career. On our side, we’re tapping into a younger generation that knows this place and the people in it, so we have somewhat of a pipeline of recruits who come in wanting to find ways to help their community, while keeping it safe.”

His relationship with the department continued to benefit Averett as he sought a criminology degree at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

“By that time, everyone in the department had come to see me as part of the team,” he said. “Lieutenant Kidd helped me pursue N.C. Criminal Justice Fellows Program, which assists people who are going to college with plans of joining the field of law enforcement.”

The department then sponsored Averett when he enrolled in the Basic Law Enforcement Training program.

“There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to start my career here in my hometown,” he said. “This department really welcomed me from the time I was a kid and they have treated me like family since. I really can’t adequately express how much this cadet program meant to me.”

The new officer, who spoke to the current class of cadets, is now an advocate for the program he joined before it even existed.

“It takes a lot to be a law enforcement officer, but I got to see people come in and do a difficult job while treating people with respect,” Averett said. “To me, when I think about growing up in Black Mountain, that’s one of the things I love about this place and a big part of what makes it so special—how we all treat each other.”

Pride in his community was a motivating force for the officer from the time he joined the cadet program, according to Kidd.

“He was a great kid who truly cared about the place he grew up, and I think he’ll be a great officer,” he said. “His journey has really come full-circle since the day he walked in the door. From my perspective, it feels rewarding because he is coming into this career with his eyes wide open.”

Staton, whose experiences in a similar program shaped his expectations when he began his own lengthy career in the field, is encouraged by the impact of the program on the cadets who have participated.

“I started out the same way as Daniel, and here I am almost 20 years later,” he said. “When you do a program like this the right way, you build a foundation that can help young people well into the future.”

Reciting the oath and putting on a BMPD uniform was “like a dream,” Averett said.

“It was a day I had been waiting on for a long time, and I’m not even sure I’ve fully processed it,” he said. “But, I’m really looking forward to being out in my community, getting to know people and bringing as much to the table as I possibly can. To me, that’s what all of this is about.”