Sheriff shares lessons from FBI academy

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich is back from the FBI National Academy with a straight-A report card, law enforcement lessons and a commemorative FBI windbreaker.

“It took 10 weeks out of my life – from my life and my time as sheriff,” Knezovich said. “A lot of elected officials don’t feel they can take the time away.”

But it was time well spent, he said.

The FBI National Academy, established in 1935, is a professional course open to law enforcement leaders worldwide. It aims to improve law enforcement standards, knowledge and cooperation, according to the FBI.

The academy is by invitation only, and the FBI pays for accommodations and instruction.

During Knezovich’s 10 weeks in Quantico, Va., he spent 50 hours studying each of the following: media relations, fitness, intelligence-led policing, legal issues for command-level law officers, leadership and managing change and development.

Knezovich already has begun meeting with his staff to discuss what he learned.

The course on intelligence-led policing was along the lines of what Knezovich had been working to implement in his agency, he said. The idea is to “look at all the (crime) data that comes in, and make sure everyone has it, and take a proactive approach,” he said.

Talking with community members and Spokane Community Oriented Policing Effort volunteers is also key to addressing crime, he said. “Focus on what’s happening, and intercede, rather than react.”

Managing change and identifying leadership are other courses the sheriff found important. He figures it’s early in his run as sheriff – Knezovich was elected in 2006 – and that he’s far from done making his mark.

“You can make all the changes you want, but if you don’t explain why you are doing it, it won’t stick,” he said. “Identifying leadership and developing that core is important. I need to develop people to potentially take my place, and they need to be better than me.”

Networking with other law enforcement leaders around the country was beneficial and somewhat reassuring, Knezovich said. The sheriff’s office is not alone in the problems it’s facing. He learned that agencies everywhere are experiencing a shortage of resources, staffing and good candidates in recruiting efforts. The connections also gave him a larger pool of law enforcement experience to draw from when confronted with issues, he said.

The sheriff didn’t say what he gained from the fitness course. But he did lose 16 pounds.