Seymour Police Chief Greg O’Brien graduated Tuesday as a member of the 283rd session of the FBI National Academy.
While he was glad to be back home in Seymour on Wednesday after a 10-hour drive, his time in Quantico, Virginia, was well spent.
“It’s a leadership school,” O’Brien said. “We had guest speakers talk about different leadership styles. It’s about communication. Everyone had to take a public relations class to become better at public speaking, and then there was PT. One of the things they highly stressed was physical training to take back to your department so they are healthier.
“A lot of the things they do are very minimalist where you don’t need weights and other equipment. You don’t have to have a weight room. You can do exercises in your office,” he said.
During his 10 weeks in Quantico, O’Brien said he also made a lot of connections with police officers from around the country.
“I can pick up the phone now and I have a connection to the assistant police chief of the Chicago Police Department,” he said.
O’Brien said in the building community classes, officers would share ideas for programs with others. Some might have already tried similar programs and found out they didn’t work or they were good ideas.
“It was networking,” he said.
O’Brien said he did bring home a few ideas he would like to try out in Seymour.
“One thing I want do is have more community involvement with the department,” he said. “My plan is to start doing some outreach here in the community. I think overall, you have to know what the pulse of the community is, and that was one of things that they pushed. How can you police the community if you don’t know what your community wants?”
The training, which the city didn’t have to pay for, had nothing to do with the FBI, he said. It was about networking and best practices and improving professionalism.
O’Brien is the first officer in department history to complete the program. Nationally, fewer than 1% of officers have the opportunity to attend the program.
Internationally known for its academic excellence, the academy offers 10 weeks of advanced communication, leadership and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend. On average, these officers have 21 years of law enforcement experience and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions.
The 283rd session consisted of 235 law enforcement officers from 49 states and the District of Columbia. Three graduates of the 283rd session were from Indiana. Besides O’Brien, the other Hoosier officers were with the Cumberland Police Department and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The class included members of law enforcement agencies from 21 countries, five military organizations and five federal and civilian agencies.
“It’s a great accomplishment for Greg, for Seymour Police Department and for the entire city of Seymour,” Mayor Matt Nicholson said. “I’m proud of the hard work and dedication Greg has shown in this commitment. I look forward to seeing what skills he has learned to benefit SPD and our community.”
O’Brien has served with the Seymour Police Department for 26 years. In June 2022, he was promoted from assistant chief to police chief. In his career with SPD, O’Brien has held many titles and positions, including Jackson County’s first school resource officer.
Originally from Lawrenceburg, he was hired in February 1996 after graduating from Vincennes University. He spent 15 years as a detective with SPD before becoming assistant chief.
He is involved with community activities, including Sertoma Club of Jackson County and its annual Christmas Miracle project and the Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108’s Cops and Kids program. He is married to Christine O’Brien, and they celebrated 25 years together this year. They have two children, Caleb and Allison.
FBI academy instructors, special agents and other staff with advanced degrees provide the training at the academy. Since 1972, academy students have been able to earn undergraduate and graduate credits from the University of Virginia, which accredits many of the courses offered.
A total of 53,671 graduates have completed the FBI National Academy since it began in 1935. The academy in Quantico also is where the FBI trains its new special agents and intelligence analysts.