SALT LAKE CITY—Dennis Rice, special agent in charge of the FBI Salt Lake City Division, announces the graduation of two Utah law enforcement officers from the FBI National Academy Thursday, December 16th, at a ceremony held in Quantico, Virginia. The officers are:

• Deputy Chief Scott Mourtgos, Salt Lake City Police Department
• Lieutenant Richard Triplett, St. George Police Department

Mourtgos and Triplett are among the 128 graduates of the 280th session of the National Academy. This session consisted of men and women from 41 states and the District of Columbia. The class included members of law enforcement agencies from 3 countries, five military organizations, and seven federal civilian organizations.

The FBI National Academy is dedicated to the improvement of law enforcement standards and has long been a benchmark for professional continuing education. During the 10-week, executive-level professional course of study, students reside and train at the FBI training facility in Quantico, Virginia. They attend courses including intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science.

The overall goal of the Academy 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.

The Academy was created in 1935 with 23 students in the first class. A total of 52,923 graduates have completed the FBI National Academy since it began. The National Academy is held at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, the same facility where the FBI trains its new special agents and intelligence analysts.

For more information about the National Academy, visit https://www.fbi.gov/services/training-academy/national-academy.