Founded in 1935, the FBI National Academy is considered the top law enforcement professional school in the country. People wanting to attend the prestigious school have to be invited.
Prospective FBI National Academy students go through a nomination process and rigorous background check before receiving an invitation. One of Auburn's own police officers made it through the selection process and received an invite to the school.
Assistant Chief Paul Register was invited to attend the school last year and graduated the 10-week program Dec. 18, 2012.
"It's an executive training for upper management in law enforcement," Register said.
Register said after hearing about the course he told Chief Tommy Dawson that it was something he was interested in attending, and Dawson nominated him.
"I heard about the course several years ago, and we have had some other people go through it as well," Register said. "So through talking with them and reading about it and hearing about it, I thought it would be something I would enjoy."
Living in dormitories on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Register took a total of six courses, had daily PT activities and met a diverse group of people while at the school.
"Monday through Friday, we were in class from 8 a.m. to 5:30, four classes everyday," Register said. "Usually there was PT everyday so there was a lot of running and a lot of cardiovascular exercise. I took two graduate level classes when I was there that I'm going to use towards my masters that I've been working on."
Register is working on a masters in homeland security emergency management at Auburn University Montgomery. Able to take both undergraduate and graduate courses at the school, the 250 students who attend the sessions are made up of law enforcement officers from around the United States and 150 countries around the world.
"The friendships and the relationships that you make with the other people at the academy should be something you can use throughout the rest of your career," Register said. "That was one of the biggest things I took from it was the networking and getting to know people from all over the country and even other nations. That was the best thing I got from it."
Although Register said he learned a lot from the course, he said the 10 weeks away from his family in Auburn was difficult for him.
"The classes were great, the training was great, but it was a challenge," Register said. "I came home about four times. I flew home a couple of times and drove home a couple of times, but it was tough. My wife gets more credit then I do for that because she was able to take care of everything at home and the kids. She deserves the credit for that."
Register and his family live in Auburn, but his wife and four kids were able to travel to Quantico, Va. to see his graduation from the FBI National Academy.
"We stayed in Washington D.C. for a few days after that to see the things around D.C.," Register said.
Register has been working at the Auburn Police Department for 25 years in a variety of jobs in patrol, investigation, administration and was Captain of Patrol.
"I've enjoyed every job I've done here," Register said. "Every few years I have done a new job within the division and so it's kept it very interesting to me. I've always enjoyed it. I work with great people and they make it fun."
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