It was a 10-week, non-stop crash course in everything law enforcement. And when it was over Sept. 18, Fayetteville Police Capt. Jeff McMullen had graduated from the FBI National Academy. McMullen, along with 254 other officers from 48 states and 21 countries completed the 238th Session at Quantico, Va.

“I wanted to do this to better myself and this department. It was quite an honor to be selected and it’s one of the most prestigious school you can attend in law enforcement,” McMullen said recently. “You bring back a different perspective on leadership, a different approach to law enforcement.”

Not for the faint-hearted, McMullen said the 10-week course required a substantial commitment. Echoing the sentiments of Chief Steve Heaton, himself a 1997 graduate of the FBI National Academy Program, McMullen said his time in Quantico was full of physical and academic challenges, along with the opportunity to network with others from across the country and around the world.

“It’s much more than a leadership school. It’s intense to say the least,” McMullen explained. “You’re pushed. They want to see how far you’ll go.”

The academy provides advanced investigative, management and fitness training for officers who are serious about their profession and who have a proven record within their agencies. Like McMullen, Heaton said the seriousness of the attendees is easily matched with the seriousness of the instructors.

“It’s a stringent, competitive process. If a person fails, the state loses the slot,” Heaton said, noting that Georgia receives six to nine slots per session.

Heaton said that less than 2 percent of law enforcement officers in the United States attend the FBI academy. The academy, along with the Southern Police Institute, are considered the premiere venues for law enforcement leadership training in the country.

“The instructors at the academy come from across the country, people who have handled major events,” Heaton said. “This training is beneficial in many ways. I’m proud of Jeff and I want the people leading this agency to be exposed to this type of training.”

McMullen began the academy process a year ago. While that might seem a lengthy process, Heaton said there are those in other departments that wait six years or more to attend.

Heaton said Fayetteville has a slot open for 2010 that will be filled by Capt. Jeff Towler.