CPD captain returns from FBI Academy
The 10-week course offers a spectrum of people and experience.
Published March 31, 2009
Columbia Police Department Capt. Brad Nelson has just returned from what has been called the best command school available -- the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
The program, described as 10 weeks of advanced investigative, management and fitness training, is one of the most prestigious in the country.
"Each year, it's less than 1 percent of the law enforcement officers who attend this course," Nelson said.
Nelson said the average amount of experience for officers at the academy is about 19 years. He has 24.
Forty-eight states, 25 international countries and four military organizations were represented in the program, which Nelson said added to the benefits.
"Just talking to a lot of them, and hearing how they run their departments was extremely beneficial to me," Nelson said.
Nelson took six classes, including one where police officers who had been involved with shootings told their stories and what they learned from the experience.
He also took a class called Drugs and Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement, taught by an agent at the Drug Enforcement Administration.
One of his classes discussed how large gangs are connected while still in prison and on the streets and how they are all driven by one thing -- money.
Nelson said he also learned about public speaking and media relations. FBI agents taught all of the classes except the drug course.
Although he said the scholastic portion of the course was challenging, one of the most difficult parts of the program was the physical fitness part.
"The last thing we did was run a 6.2 mile run with obstacles," Nelson said.
The structure of the classes during the program is similar to college, with different two-hour block classes every day. He shared a room with a lieutenant from Carmel, Ind.
"If I had a complaint, that would probably be my complaint," Nelson said. "They were very small dorms that you shared with another officer and connected by a common bathroom, shared by two other officers."
Nelson said his wife, Tamara, attended his graduation ceremony in the last week.
FBI Director Robert Mueller spoke at the ceremony.
"It was impressive to me that the FBI director, the head of 12,000 agents, was actually our principle speaker at our graduation ceremony," Nelson said.
Nelson said CPD has had several officers attend the FBI Academy, and one officer, Capt. Zim Schwartze, is still employed there.
MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said MUPD has had five employed officers attend the FBI National Academy in the past.
Weimer was the most recent graduate, attending from July to September in 2007.
"The training's good, but the networking is an incredible experience," Weimer said. "You're in there with individuals from all over the world."
Weimer said his roommate was from Brunei, one of his suitemates worked for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and his other suitemate was from the St. Louis area.
Weimer said MUPD could potentially have a person attend the academy in the next year or so, but nothing is certain yet.
"For a department our size, we've already had five people who are currently still on staff that have went through, so that's pretty exceptional," Weimer said.
Nelson said his time at the FBI National Academy was a once in a lifetime experience.
"I'm very pleased that I had the opportunity to attend," Nelson said. "They do say it's the best command school out there, and after attending, I would agree with that."
