The Antioch Police Department announced this week that Captain Tammany “T” Brooks recently completed a 10-week training session at the 263rd Session of the FBI National Academy located in Quantico, Virginia.
In total, 230 other law enforcement executives representing 47 states, 27 international countries, and 4 military organizations attended the session.
According to Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando participation in the program is by invitation only, through a nomination process, and less than 1% of all law enforcement officers in the country are selected to attend.
Chief Cantando praised Captain Brooks on the completion of the program and highlighted the training is the best in the world.
“This is one of our steps in our succession planning model for future development as well as leadership training. Less than 1% of law enforcement managers attend the FBI national academy, but I feel that it’s important that our managers receive the best training available,” said Cantando. “Upon my retirement, Captain Brooks will be a very eligible candidate to assume the role of police chief. He has demonstrated the ability to lead a police department as well as the ability to connect with the community.”
Chief Cantando further highlighted that upon returning from the training, Captain Brooks has already brought back best practices models from departments across the nation.
“In addition, the training has allowed him to recognize that we will continue to engage in the best practices. Based on his command staff he worked with throughout the nation, he recognized that our issues are very similar to what other police agencies are doing,” said Cantando.
Captain Brooks agreed.
“The issues we are dealing with locally in Antioch, the County and even the state, which we may think are specific to us, are impacting agencies from around the country and the world. Some of those issues law enforcement is dealing with are public perception a lot of talk on terrorism (globally), staffing, and technology,” said Brooks.
He further highlighted that his roommate during the 10-week session was from Mumbai India which was able to provide him not only perspective, but he could see just how similar issues were and how to better deal with them.
“My roommate was from India, he directly worked a case from the Mumbai bombing and was heavily involved in apprehension and prosecution,” explained Brooks. “Policing in the others parts of the world can be drastically different than in the US. Here, we are based on our constitution which are not a part of other countries. The academy provided a lot of perspective, best practices, we went over trending issues across the world and how they are dealing with it.”
Captain Brooks called the experience amazing and an honor while stating the networking will provide great value to the Antioch Police Department.
“The biggest takeaway from the FBI Academy was twofold, leadership within the law enforcement community and then establishing trusting relationships with the community. I think Antioch Police are doing it, but we can always do better. I don’t think anyone should ever be okay with the status quo, we can always do better.”
Since the 10-week course is through the University of Virginia, he also eared 17-units of classroom and physical training. He also completed a “Yellow Brick Road Challenge” which he was is a 10-K “tough mudder” type obstacle course mixed in with a road race. Since he completed it, he was given a yellow brick. He also completed a Black Brick Challenge where over the 10-week course, he completed a 263 mile bike ride.
The FBI National Academy began in 1935, and is a professional development course for U.S. and international law enforcement leaders. It serves to improve the administration of justice in police departments and agencies at home and abroad and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge, and cooperation worldwide.
Its mission is “to support, promote, and enhance the personal and professional development of law enforcement leaders by preparing them for complex, dynamic, and contemporary challenges through innovative techniques, facilitating excellence in education and research, and forging partnerships throughout the world.”
