Warren County Undersheriff Jeff Riggs hit the bricks this summer to attend and graduate from the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

Less than 1 percent of the nation’s law enforcement officers get the opportunity to attend the academy. Riggs was one of 234 students from 48 states and 23 foreign countries to complete the latest round of academy classes.

“It’s the premiere law enforcement executive leadership school in the nation,” Riggs said.

To be accepted into the academy, Riggs had to be nominated, and his nomination had to be approved by the FBI.

“This isn’t just something you can apply for and get in,” he said.

During the academy, Riggs completed the training in leadership, criminal intelligence and a variety of other topics.

“It’s going to help us locally because the classes I took are the most recent and updated trends in law enforcement,” Riggs said.

Sheriff Martin Pace, who is a 2004 graduate of the academy, said the information would be put to good use locally and shared with the staff of the sheriff’s department.

“The information and training that he has received at the national academy is something he will be able to bring back to the Warren County sheriff’s office to better serve the citizens of Warren County,” Pace said.

Riggs said the academy also allowed him to make networking contacts with agencies across the country including in departments that have thousands of officers.

“This helps us cut through the layers of bureaucracy,” Riggs said.

During his time at the academy, Riggs earned two physical fitness awards — a Yellow Brick and a Blue Brick.

The Yellow Brick is for completing a grueling 6.1-mile running and obstacle course known as the Yellow Brick Road. He also completed a 34-mile swim — the distance from Quantico to Washington D.C. — in the FBI pool.

“That’s 2,175 side touches in the pool,” Riggs said.

Riggs has been a county employee since 1981. From 1988 to 1997, he was a justice court judge and became undersheriff in 1991.