Town boasts seven graduates of FBI Academy | Collierville IndependentCollierville Independent

The Collierville Police Department now consists of seven officers who have graduated from the prestigious FBI National Academy. Each of the officers was hand-picked by the department and, along with about 250 other officers from across the country, completed the 10-week course at the FBI Training Academy inside the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, Va.

“One of the major advantages, other than the education opportunities, is the ability to network within your session or other sessions around the world,” said Collierville Police Chief Larry Goodwin, who is also an FBI Academy graduate. “To be able to pick up a telephone and reach out to another department with a contact liaison is invaluable.”

The FBI National Academy is dedicated to the improvement of law enforcement standards and has long been a benchmark for professional continuing education. Participants are drawn from every state in the union, from U.S. territories, and from over 150 partner nations. Police officers who attend the Academy return to their communities better prepared to meet criminal challenges.

In addition to Chief Goodwin, a graduate of the 167th session, FBI Academy graduates currently serving with the Collierville Police Department are: Lieutenant Tom Beard – 186th Session, Assistant Chief Jeff Abeln – 197th Session, Assistant Chief David Tillner – 208th Session, Captain Chris Locke – 227th Session, Captain Mike Moore – 235th Session and Lieutenant David Townsend – 249th Session.

The overall goal of the academy is to support, promote and enhance the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders by preparing them for complex, dynamic and contemporary challenges through innovative techniques, facilitating excellence in education and research and forging partnerships throughout the world. The academy was created in 1935, with 23 students in the first class. It has grown over the years to the current enrollment of more than 1,000 students a year. The FBI National Academy is one of the premier law enforcement academies in the world.

The Collierville Police Department has employed 15 graduates of the FBI National Academy, with eight remaining on the force. Those graduating and since retired include former Chief Dennis Joyner, Jerome Burgess, Dwight Hood, Tommy McCaskill, David Boling, William Hamric, Terry Cochran and the late Steve Williams. As FBI National Academy graduates, these officers enter into a select group made up of less than one percent of the country’s law enforcement officers.