Chief Deputy Carl Wilkerson of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office recently completed one of the toughest challenges available to local law enforcement officers: the FBI National Academy. Chief Deputy Wilkerson and two other Oregon law enforcement officers graduated a ten-week training session at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in September.

There is a highly competitive process local law enforcement officers must go through to be selected for this honor. That process includes a nomination by a supervisor; interviews with the candidate and co-workers to determine leadership skills and abilities; a background check; a determination of physical fitness; and the support of former National Academy graduates within the candidate’s organization.

“The exceptional leaders selected to attend the National Academy have a great opportunity to share their experiences with peers and learn best practices from across the country and the world,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Portland Field Office. “Only a few law enforcement officers from Oregon attend each year, and we are proud to sponsor Chief Deputy Wilkerson and our other local partners in the National Academy.”

Chief Deputy Wilkerson started with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office in 1994. He became a deputy in 1996, working in corrections and later transferring to the Police Services Division. He served as a patrol deputy on the Traffic Safety Team, as a Creswell contract deputy, and on county patrol, serving community members over an area of 4,600 square miles. In 2005, the agency promoted him to detective in the Criminal Investigations Section, and, in 2013, to sergeant. In 2018, he served in the position of Police Services Lieutenant before accepting a promotion to Chief Deputy, second in command to the Sheriff, in 2019. Chief Deputy Wilkerson has served on the Marijuana Eradication Team, as a drug recognition expert; as a SWAT operator; and on the Interagency Deadly Force Investigations Team.

“I am extremely proud of Chief Deputy Wilkerson and thankful he was able to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity for law enforcement leaders in this nation,” said Sheriff Cliff Harrold of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. “I am looking forward to his return to the office where the information, knowledge, and skills he gained at the FBI National Academy will be used for the betterment of our organization and the community we serve.”

During the ten weeks of training, local executive-level law enforcement officers spend most of their time in the classroom. Chief Deputy Wilkerson’s National Academy classes included Critical Incident Leadership, Crisis Negotiations, Contemporary Issues in Police and Media Relations, Essentials for Law Enforcement Leaders, Behavioral Science for Law Enforcement Leaders, Fitness in Law Enforcement, and Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement. The program allows participants the opportunity to earn college credits through the University of Virginia for some of those studies.

Each year, the FBI sponsors four sessions of the National Academy. Each session includes about 220 local law enforcement officers from throughout the United States and around the world. While in the academy, the officers and deputies live in a dorm-like setting. The FBI does not charge U.S. students for tuition, books, equipment, meals, lodging, or travel to and from their home.