Sheriff Martin Pace talks with Undersheriff Jeff Riggs before leaving for Quantico, Va.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

[9/27/04]Instead of chasing the bad guys, the next two months for Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace will bring sleeping in a dorm room, daily classes and dreaded cafeteria food.

“I’m not really looking forward to missing my Walnut Hills lunches, but this will be a great opportunity for me that will benefit Warren County,” Pace said before leaving Friday for 11 weeks at the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Va.

The eight-year sheriff is one of 200 law enforcement officers from around the world chosen for the school.

Though others from Vicksburg have attended, Pace, 46, is the first to attend from the sheriff’s department.

Pace will attend classes in leadership and management, forensic science, law, media communication, behavior science and health and fitness.

“It’s a unique training opportunity,” he said. “The FBI National Academy is considered to be the best and most challenging training facility in the world.

“I’m looking forward to bringing back information that will benefit the department and Warren County.”

And, he said, it’s gives him a chance to meet officers from all over the country.

“For investigations here that spill over to other states, there will be no state in the union that I won’t have someone to contact if I need to,” he said.

Pace made the 1,000-mile trek fine and registered and signed up for classes Saturday afternoon.

The National Academy was founded in 1935, and 37,740 officers have since graduated.

The last to attend from Vicksburg was former police Chief Mitchell Dent.

Pace said he wants the public to be assured that he has no plans to leave Warren County to become an FBI agent.

“I’ll come back here and continue to be their sheriff, if the public allows me to do so,” he said.

“The academy is designed for command-level officers so they allow daily contact with our offices,” he said.

And major administration decisions will still be made by Pace, and he said he’ll be in constant contact with the office.

Undersheriff Jeff Riggs, who’ll be in charge of administrative duties during Pace’s absence, said things will be the same.

“It’s going to operate like business as usual,” he said. Riggs, a deputy since 1981 except for eight years while he was a justice court judge, has been undersheriff since January 1997.

Pace said he’ll be back in Warren County for some weekends and will return for good Dec. 7.Sheriff Martin Pace talks with Undersheriff Jeff Riggs before leaving for Quantico, Va.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

lhough@vicksburgpost.com

[9/27/04]Instead of chasing the bad guys, the next two months for Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace will bring sleeping in a dorm room, daily classes and dreaded cafeteria food.

“I’m not really looking forward to missing my Walnut Hills lunches, but this will be a great opportunity for me that will benefit Warren County,” Pace said before leaving Friday for 11 weeks at the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Va.

The eight-year sheriff is one of 200 law enforcement officers from around the world chosen for the school.

Though others from Vicksburg have attended, Pace, 46, is the first to attend from the sheriff’s department.

Pace will attend classes in leadership and management, forensic science, law, media communication, behavior science and health and fitness.

“It’s a unique training opportunity,” he said. “The FBI National Academy is considered to be the best and most challenging training facility in the world.

“I’m looking forward to bringing back information that will benefit the department and Warren County.”

And, he said, it’s gives him a chance to meet officers from all over the country.

“For investigations here that spill over to other states, there will be no state in the union that I won’t have someone to contact if I need to,” he said.

Pace made the 1,000-mile trek fine and registered and signed up for classes Saturday afternoon.

The National Academy was founded in 1935, and 37,740 officers have since graduated.

The last to attend from Vicksburg was former police Chief Mitchell Dent.

Pace said he wants the public to be assured that he has no plans to leave Warren County to become an FBI agent.

“I’ll come back here and continue to be their sheriff, if the public allows me to do so,” he said.

“The academy is designed for command-level officers so they allow daily contact with our offices,” he said.

And major administration decisions will still be made by Pace, and he said he’ll be in constant contact with the office.

Undersheriff Jeff Riggs, who’ll be in charge of administrative duties during Pace’s absence, said things will be the same.

“It’s going to operate like business as usual,” he said. Riggs, a deputy since 1981 except for eight years while he was a justice court judge, has been undersheriff since January 1997.

Pace said he’ll be back in Warren County for some weekends and will return for good Dec. 7.