Snowflake Taylor Police Officer Lieutenant Robert Martin was among the recent graduates of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Va. The academy held its graduation on June 8, with five Arizona attendees that were hand selected by the Special Agent in Charge Michael DeLeon of the FBI Phoenix Field Office.
“The FBI National Academy was an experience I will not soon forget,” said Martin. Martin is the first employee of STPD to attend the academy. STPD Chief Larry Scarber said, “I am awfully proud of his achievement there.”
“My hope is to bring back from the academy those lessons that I learned and implement them within the Snowflake Taylor Police Department to not only benefit our department, but also the community of Snowflake and Taylor,” said Martin. The training included contemporary issues in law enforcement, media in law enforcement and law enforcement leadership.
Attendees also participated in physical fitness training that culminates in a grueling 6.1-mile Marine Corps obstacle course. Martin completed an optional rowing fitness program and rowed 37 miles on a rowing machine. Martin said, “In 10 weeks, I received leadership training at one of the highest levels of law enforcement, was physically trained by highly qualified and extremely knowledgeable physical fitness instructors and met law enforcement professionals from around the world.”
While there Martin used his down time to tour the FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C., the National Holocaust Museum and the Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Martin also attended many optional supplemental training activities such as briefings on law enforcement events and critical issues that face law enforcement.
More than 220 students were enrolled in this session of the academy. Martin will continue his experience as a member of the Arizona Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. That chapter provides regular training and social activities. Martin said, “Being able to speak with others from across the U.S. as well as from many countries across the world, I was reminded of how thankful I am to work and serve within our community.”
