Dorsey to attend FBI academy

Dorsey will spend 11 weeks completing the prestigious law enforcement training.

The F.B.I. National Academy began in 1935. Its mission is to promote the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders.

The Academy will offer Dorsey and approximately 250 other law enforcement officers the opportunity to undergo intensive training, discuss experiences and exchange ideas. Participants are drawn from agencies across the country and from 150 international partners.

Dorsey will take six courses geared towards law enforcement leadership. The courses include public speaking, contemporary issues in police and media relations, labor law issues, leadership for law enforcement, fitness for law enforcement and evidentiary photography.

While the leadership and specialized training classes are intense, the Academy is known for its grueling physical fitness course. Dorsey said he began training for the fitness course as soon as he learned he had been selected to attend.

“I’ve been running a lot, so I think I am ready for that,” he said.

Requirements for acceptance to the Academy are stringent. Participants are nominated by the head of their agency and must meet several criteria including excellent character, professional integrity and leadership qualities. Applicants must also be capable of strenuous physical exertion and proficient in firearms and defensive tactics.

Dorsey has been on the waiting list for three years, but expects the training will be worth the wait.

“I’m in an administrative position now,” he said. “I think it is going to help me grow as a leader and prepare me to one day lead a department.”

The 239th Academy begins September 28.