Todd Brakeville, a captain with the Siloam Springs Police Department, was recognized for his recent graduation from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., during Tuesday's city board meeting.

Brakeville studied police leadership during a 10-week academy, which spanned from Jan. 8 through March 16. He is the second Siloam Springs officer to graduate from the academy. Police Chief Jim Wilmeth is also a graduate of the program.

During the academy, 220 to 240 executive level officers participate in a wide range of leadership, fitness and specialized training where they can share ideas, techniques and experiences, while creating a lifelong partnership at the state and national levels, Wilmeth said.

As part of the experience, officers take undergraduate and graduate courses accredited by the University of Virginia. Brakeville took courses in constitutional and criminal law, techniques in deciphering the aspects of human behavior, media relations strategy, contemporary leadership and fitness, Wilmeth said. Brakeville maintained a 4.0 grade point average on the courses he took during the academy, he said.

Leaders and managers of state, county, local, tribal and international law enforcement agencies attend the FBI Academy, Wilmeth said.

"Less than one-half of one percent of law enforcement executives in the world are invited to go to the FBI Academy," Wilmeth said. "It's that prestigious. Participation is by invitation only through a nomination process. The participants are drawn from every U.S. state and territory."

There is currently a three-year waiting period to attend the academy, and Arkansas gets only two training positions per session each year, he said.

"I would add that this is kind of unique for Siloam," Wilmeth said. "A lot of time agencies our size don't get looked at very seriously by the FBINA ( FBI National Academy). This city now has two graduates serving right now who have been through that and we have two that have actually made it through the nomination process and are awaiting selection. So your community has quite a reputation in law enforcement, quite a reputation across the state because we are competing with Little Rock, North Little Rock, Hot Springs. ... The People that work in that department are absolutely outstanding people."

Brakeville has 21 years of experience in law enforcement, Wilmeth said. He was hired by the SSPD in July of 2004, and served as a sergeant in the criminal investigation division from 2007 to 2015. Brakeville was promoted to captain in 2015 and is currently over the office of professional standards, which includes internal affairs and training.

"The accomplishment reflects great credit upon Captain Brakeville, the police department and the city of Siloam Springs," Wilmeth said.

City board members each took time to congratulate Brakeville on his achievements during their director's reports at the end of the meeting.