MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Marquette County Undersheriff Lowell Larson is back home after graduating from the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The FBI Academy isn’t just another training course. It’s an invitation-only program reserved for experienced law enforcement leaders with a proven record of service and leadership. For Larson, it was like going back to college.
“People that are generally in their 40s have, you know, 15 to 20 years under their belt, and it’s a good reset for them,” recalled Larson.
Since opening in 1935, more than 57,000 officers from around the world have graduated from the academy. Classmates who may prove to be invaluable later on.
“I now have a whole list of people that I can contact that I’ve already built a relationship with, and have them help me through whatever I am dealing with,” said Undersheriff Larson.
From police tactics to leadership, Larson was immersed in the latest in law enforcement training.
“I took a lot of classes on leadership, physical wellness, constitutional law, strategic resource allocation,” said Larson.
But the classroom is only part of the challenge. Participants are also tested physically on the legendary Yellow Brick Road, a demanding 6.1-mile obstacle course.
“After you complete it, it’s a very high sense of pride to be able to complete that. So that brick on the shelf is my point of pride of completing that,” Explained Larson.
Larson was especially suited for this program, having led the investigation into the matter of Jordan Demay’s death and the international arrest of two Nigerian nationals.
“And I was able to give a rundown of what happened in that case, and I got tremendous feedback from all the other leaders,” said Larson.
Larson now joins his boss, Sheriff Zeibert, in the elite company of an FBI Academy graduate.
“It’s some of the best training in the world. It’s, and I’m trying to set him up and Marquette County for the future. I’m not really planning on running after my term is up, and I think getting all the information and the education and leadership is just second to none, said Sheriff Zyburt.
