By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — South Brunswick Police Capt. James Ryan spent 10 weeks undergoing intense professional development coursework to become part of the prestigious FBI National Academy.
Ryan, a 21-year veteran of the South Brunswick Police Department, graduated from the academy in Quantico, Virginia, on Sept. 16.
The 265th session of the National Academy consisted of leaders in law enforcement from 47 states and 24 countries, according to information provided by the South Brunswick Police Department. The 230 graduates represented law enforcement agencies ranging from cities to small towns, from colleges to military organizations.
At the academy, Ryan integrated with other law enforcement leaders, living in academy dorms, undergoing strenuous physical training and classroom instruction by seasoned special agents and subject matter experts through the University of Virginia.
“It was more challenging than I thought. I had to write six papers and give three presentations. The final physical challenge was a 6.1-mile obstacle course,” Ryan said.
All candidates of the academy must be recommended by a leader in law enforcement and then invited by administrators with the academy, according to the statement. Fewer than 1 percent of U.S. law enforcement are chosen. Graduating the academy is the highest achievement for law enforcement.
“It was definitely a great opportunity. Now I have friends in Iceland, Switzerland, Oman, Thailand and many more places,” Ryan said.
In his comments at the graduation, FBI Director James Comey spoke of the challenges facing law enforcement and the threats ahead. He said law enforcement faces unprecedented challenges from social unrest to increasing terrorist threats. He said law enforcement needs to continue to engage communities to generate support. He indicated the speed at which terrorist work is making the world a much smaller place, and law enforcement needs to respond with improved networking, according to the statement.
“It was an impressive group of officers I had the opportunity to train with. Their insights and experiences provided invaluable lessons learned. The group collectively had over 4,600 years of law enforcement experience. The academy pushed you to think of different approaches to the issues we confront on a daily basis. It was a unique chance to share ideas with senior law enforcement leaders from around the world,” Ryan said.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].