Few local police officers can boast that they’ve been FBI trained.
But after 10 weeks of intense training, Thunder Bay Police Service Sgt. Neil Herman has official bragging rights.
Only three other local officers have completed the FBI National Academy program. One of those graduates was police chief JP Levesque. The program, which started in 1972, includes courses on advanced investigation techniques, leadership and fitness training for more than 265 officers from across the world.
Herman, one of only eight Canadians selected for the program, said it was some of the best training he’s ever received and plans to bring what he learned back home.
“There was fitness challenges every Wednesday,” the 39-year-old said. “I was essentially going to school and writing research papers. It’s different. I hope what I learned is better for the community. We have access to what the FBI is offering as far as services if we can’t get them through some of our Canadian agencies.”
Since some of the officers who participated were international students, Herman said that if one service has a question they can now find help across the globe. Herman estimated that they can now reach around 300 law enforcement agencies.
The nomination process for Herman to attend the program took the greater portion of a year.
He found out the good news in October that he would be heading to Quantico, Va. The FBI covered the cost for tuition and board.
Herman, an 18-year veteran of the local police service, said he took a few leadership courses and learned how to be more efficient with his workouts. What would normally take him two hours he can now do in roughly 30 minutes.
He said he plans to pass on those tips to his fellow officers.
“Fitness was three times a week plus you challenge on Wednesday,” he said. “They’re two hour classes so half of the class was in the classroom and the other half was exercising.
Then we had our own workouts on top of that. I was trying to stay in shape before I went down but I really learned a lot.”
Although he learned a lot, he added that the point of the academy is to encouraging lifelong learning and not stopping even though he’s out of the classroom.
