On Thursday, March 16, 2023, Arkansas Public Safety Secretary Colonel Mike Hagar announced that Captain Chris Goodman graduated as a member of the 285th session of the FBI National Academy. The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Nationally, fewer than one percent of officers have the opportunity to attend this prestigious program.
Internationally known for its academic excellence, the National Academy offers ten weeks of advanced communication, leadership, and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend. On average, these officers have 21 years of law enforcement experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions.
The 285th session consisted of two hundred and forty-seven law enforcement officers from 47 states and the District of Columbia. The class included members of law enforcement agencies from 28 countries, four military organizations, and five federal civilian organizations.
“On behalf of Arkansas State Police, we congratulate Captain Goodman on this impressive accomplishment,” said Colonel Hagar. “Captain Goodman is uniquely qualified for admission to this respected program, and he represented our organization and our great state with distinction. I am immensely proud of the elite members of our organization who have graduated from the National Academy, as they embody ASP’s core values: Honor, Integrity, Duty and Excellence.”
Captain Goodman started his career at the Russellville Police Department in 1997. In 2003, he was hired by Arkansas State Police and assigned to Troop H. In 2006, he transferred to Troop J, where he remained until 2018. He was promoted to sergeant in Pope County, Troop J in 2016, back to Troop H as a lieutenant in 2018, and then to captain of Troop H in 2020. He has a wife and two daughters.
About the FBI National Academy
FBI Academy instructors, special agents, and other staff with advanced degrees provide the training; many instructors are recognized internationally in their fields. Since 1972, National Academy students have been able to earn undergraduate and graduate credits from the University of Virginia, which accredits many of the courses offered. A total of 54,154 graduates have completed the FBI National Academy since it began in 1935. 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.
