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Asheville, N.C. (WLOS) — Multiple local law enforcement agencies, including Hendersonville Police and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, all welcomed new officers on Wednesday, June 18.

Twenty-eight cadets graduated from AB Tech Community College's Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program. That’s the largest class the program has seen in 10 years.

Out of those new officers, 15 will work with the Asheville Police Department.

“The past few classes have had 4 to 5 cadets,” APD Lieutenant of Recruitment and Career Development James Boyce said. “Fifteen is three times the size of the normal class for the past several years. With this class and the next one that has 20 cadets, we’re going to be looking better as far as staffing is concerned.”

One of those cadets, 52-year-old Ed Solomon, was the class’s role model.

“Ed is our dad,” one of his classmates said during the ceremony. “He kept us straight; gave us the dad look.”

Solomon always wanted to be a police officer.

“There was this calling to me to help my community,” Solomon said. “I’m originally from Los Angeles. You had a lot of gang warfare in small communities. We needed more Latin American and Hispanic officers there. That inspired me at first.”

He accomplished that dream early by becoming a military police officer right after high school.

However, that didn’t last long.

“We had our family growing, and I had to quit,” Solomon said.

Decades went by with Solomon as a family man. Now, family is what got him to graduation day.

“When my son graduated from Appalachian State University for criminal justice, it lit a fire under me,” Solomon said. “He became my inspiration to try it again. I thought, ‘Let’s give this another shot. It would be great if a father and son could go through this.'"

Solomon's son, Hunter, was there to see his dad rejoin the force.

“It makes me proud,” Hunter said after the ceremony. “I was able to give him a spark to try again at something he’s always wanted to do."

Solomon was honored as the class’s trailblazer.

“When he got the award, I almost started tearing up,” Hunter said with a smile.

Ed continues to inspire Hunter to follow his lead.

“Now that he’s graduating, hopefully, he’ll be following my steps,” Ed said. “There are no words to say it justice. I’ll possibly be working side by side with my son.”

“I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve learned,” Hunter said. “Now, I want to put it into practice.”

Hunter is beginning the process of joining the BLET program under APD.

“If his son is anything like his father, I’m pretty sure that we’re going to get a really good police officer candidate coming through the program soon,” Boyce said.

Solomon hopes to work as a school resource officer for a local district.