South Brunswick Police Officer Graduates Prestigious FBI National Academy

South Brunswick, NJ - A longtime and well-known South Brunswick police officer graduated from the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia last Friday.

Captain James Ryan, a 21-year veteran of the South Brunswick police force, was one of 23o graduates, who came from 47 states and 24 countries, including countries such as Italy, Pakistan and countries in the Middle East.

The international team of officers discussed a range of things, Ryan told Patch, such as how to combat homegrown, lone-wolf terrorism to the attitudes towards police officers here in America, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. They also educated police about the importance of forging strong connections with the communities they serve.

All candidates of the academy must be recommended by a leader in law enforcement and then invited by administrators with the academy. There is a waiting list and candidates can sometimes wait years to receive their appointment. Fewer than 1% of U.S. police officers are chosen to attend the National Academy, American law enforcement's highest achievement.

FBI Director James Comey spoke Friday of the most pressing challenges facing law enforcement today: He said law enforcement faces unprecedented challenges from social unrest to increasing terrorist threats. He said law enforcement needs to continue to engage communities to generate support. He also said the speed at which terrorists work is making the world a much smaller place, and law enforcement needs to respond with improved networking.