- October 13, 2024
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A Flagler County Sheriff's Office division chief has been invited to attend the prestigious FBI National Academy.
Community Policing Division Chief Jonathan Welker will attend the 286th session in Quantico, Virginia, in April 2023. Less than 1% of all law enforcement officers receive an invitation from the FBI to attend this prestigious academy during their career, according to a press release from FCSO.
The program is 10 weeks long and fully paid for by the FBI. The program is meant to improve the administration of justice in law enforcement agencies and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge and cooperation worldwide. Participants for the program are nominated by their agency heads because of demonstrated leadership skills, the press release said.
Sheriff Rick Staly is the only other Sheriff’s Office employee that has graduated from the FBI National Academy.
“This is a great honor for Chief Welker and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office,” Staly said. “The FBI National Academy is considered the ‘West Point’ of law enforcement. This type of training continues my mission to provide opportunities and mentor employees, so the Sheriff’s Office remains on the cutting edge of our profession.”
Welker began at FCSO in 2007 as a deputy and is now in charge of the Community Policing Division, which is the largest and most visible division of the Sheriff’s Office, the press release said. It includes the Special Operations Units: the Traffic Unit, K-9 Unit, Marine Unit, Agriculture/Ranch Unit, Motors Unit and the Citizen Observer Patrol program.
