FBINAA JANFEB MAG.2019

FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY A PHOTO ESSAY JIM LOCKARD/FBINA #269 “The Portico” was shot during the first week of the 269th Session of the FBI National Academy, July 2017. My roommate, Jorge Perez , and I were out ex- ploring the campus and when we returned I looked up and was taken aback by the image in front of me. I looked at the FBI seal and realized where I was standing and thought about the thousands of men and women that had come before me and those that were to come in the future. That week brought all of us many challenges and the beginning of the most amazing 10 weeks of our law enforcement careers.

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T he people you meet at the FBI Academy will change your life forever. As our time here passes “The Portico” was the re- lief of my 10 years of waiting to attend, a symbol of being home after weekends away, and the sight you look back to see as you are leaving the Academy after graduation. The original image was donated to the silent auction of the 269th session and later sold in various sizes to benefit our charity, COPS. After leaving the NA I re- alized just how much the FBI National Academy Associates works to support its members. “The Portico” was released to the NAA to sell prints and now all proceeds from the sale of this image will go to support the NAA and each of its members and programs. “The Portico” serves as a gateway to changing your career and your life. Alongside “The Portico” is the FBI Academy Administration building. After several shots of the building and packing up my camera, Jorge laughs and tells me “the lights just came on.” Not wanting to miss the fountain and flags with accent lighting, I sat my camera on the sign for the administration building and got this shot. All proceeds from this image will benefit the FBI NAA as well. It is an honor to have my images for sale via the NAA and knowing that the proceeds will benefit law enforcement officers worldwide is an amazing feeling. Thank you for supporting the FBINAA. About the Author: My career began as a Bel Air Police Explorer (Post 9010) in the early 1980s; after a few years in sales I returned to my chosen career as a seasonal police officer in Ocean City, Maryland in 1991 followed by a year in the Baltimore Police Department. My 25 plus years with the Bel Air Police Department provided me with many opportunities that only small agencies can provide; extensive training, mul- tiple responsibilities, and wearingmore than a few hats at one time. I was honored to have had the opportunity to attend the National Academy 269th Session along with the privilege to contribute to the National Academy Associates.

N2000 film camera, I took a break for a few years and broke down and got my first DSLR from a local news reporter, a Nikon D80. After several years, a few more cam- eras and more than a few too many paychecks worth of gear I am now a semiprofes- sional photographer. I began to take photos more as a relief from the stressors of police work and that eventually turned into my semiprofessional photography work. While at Quantico, I was honored by my classmates to photograph so many events and functions. “The Portico,” which is for sale at the NAA store at Quantico, has been my favorite photo frommy time at the NA. I donate 4 prints a year for silent auctions and fundraisers. To say being asked to contribute to this publication is an honor is an understatement, but this would not be possible if not for the amazing 269th session that I now call family. The NA is the most amazing 10 weeks of my career and the op- portunity of a lifetime. I want to thank Bill Ryan 137th Session for his encouragement to attend the NA, it only took me 10 years to get there and to SA Rob Hallman 242nd Session for never giving up on getting me to Quantico. continued on page 16

Photography was a hobby that got a bit carried away with my daughters’ high school and college field hockey careers. I began taking photos in themid-1980s with a Nikon

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