The Associated Press
VICKSBURG, Miss. - Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace will be spending the next several weeks at the FBI’s National Academy, receiving training he says will help make him a better law enforcement officer.
The eight-year sheriff arrived Saturday at the FBI facility in Quantico, Va., one of 200 law enforcement officers from around the world chosen for the 11-week school.
Though others from Vicksburg have attended, Pace, 46, is the first to represent the sheriff’s department. He left Vicksburg on Friday.
Pace will attend classes in leadership and management, forensic science, law, media communication, behavior science and health and fitness.
“It’s a unique training opportunity,” he said. “The FBI National Academy is considered to be the best and most challenging training facility in the world.
“I’m looking forward to bringing back information that will benefit the department and Warren County.”
He said the school will also give him an opportunity to meet officers from all over the country.
“For investigations here that spill over to other states, there will be no state in the union that I won’t have someone to contact if I need to,” he said.
The National Academy was founded in 1935, and 37,740 officers have since graduated.
Undersheriff Jeff Riggs will be in charge of administrative duties during Pace’s absence.
“It’s going to operate like business as usual,” said Riggs.
Riggs was a deputy since 1981, except for eight years while he was a justice court judge. He has been undersheriff since January 1997.
Pace said he’ll be back in Warren County for some weekends and will return for good Dec. 7.