Classes at the 10-week FBI National Academy will help a captain improve his leadership and management skills at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
Patrol Capt. David Hailey attended the 248th NA class from Jan. 7 to March 16 at the FBI in Quantico , Va., where he earned 18 hours of college credit at the University of Virginia . The academy focuses on local law enforcement leaders throughout the nation and world.
Hailey, who supervises the patrol division, completed classes in leadership, stress management in law enforcement, evidentiary photography, officer shootings, media relations and exercise regimens.
“I took classes I felt were relevant to the sheriff’s office as well as my career,” Hailey said. “I hope to be able to apply learned knowledge from areas from personal stress related to work to work-related stresses such as officer shootings.”
The leadership and management skills class will guide Hailey in handling personnel issues.
“Stress management will help me deal not only with personal stress but officers I supervise who are dealing with life stresses including families and career,” Hailey said.
During the officer shooting class, Hailey learned how other departments handled critical incidents and procedures. Students participated in scenarios and gave interviews.
“The classes help you draw from your own experiences to help officers in the future who are involved in confrontations,” Hailey said.
Photography classes taught Hailey about using digital cameras with varying lighting to take photographs for evidence in prosecuting cases. Patrol officers carry digital cameras so they can take their own photographs for evidence so they take more ownership of the case.
With the media classes, Hailey participated in exercises including a live press conference, a remote news cable access show interview and interviews with friendly and antagonistic reporters. Each interview was videotaped.
Interviews were critiqued by the students and other members of the law enforcement academy.
Besides the classes, Hailey networked with fellow students ranging from managers of departments with 15 employees to departments with 30,000 employees.
“Even the problems in our community are shared nationwide, including funding of personnel and inter-departmental issues,” Hailey said.
Hailey joined the sheriff’s office in 1994. After talking with previous FBI National Academy graduates, Hailey sought to enroll in the class.
“Although it was taxing on my family, it was the best learning environment I’ve been in,” Hailey said. “I thank the sheriff and the sheriff’s office for allowing me the opportunity. It was an honor to be able to experience the National Academy .”
Other sheriff’s office graduates from the FBI National Academy include Chief Deputy Randy Garrett , Deputy Chief Virgil Gammon , Commander Preble A. Acton of the Criminal Investigations Division, Detention Capt. Derrell Cagle and Detective Lt. Bill Sharp of the Cold Case unit.
