KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Robby Nelms, a lieutenant in the Sevierville Police Department, completed the Federal Burea of Investigation's National Academy last month. The 10-week, college-level course is a combination of academics, professional development and physical fitness training.
"Recruiting, retention, how to lead people, as well as commanding crisis situations," Nelms said.
He said learning to identify signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and how to talk with colleagues was also a component.
The 20-year law enforcement veteran started his career as a dispatcher in Gatlinburg after graduating high school. He moved to the Sevierville Police Department around 3 years later and has climbed the ranks, joining the Honor Guard and SWAT Unit on his way to lieutenant.
He said he's also attended various schools to learn about those units. It's a practice Joe Manning, Sevierville's police chief, said is a fundamental practice of the department.
"We police Sevierville because Sevierville's our city, but are we doing it the right way?" Manning said.
He has 40 years of law enforcement experience in Florida, South Carolina and East Tennessee. He said professional development is essential to any department. Both big and small ideas, as well as hard and soft skills, contribute to maximizing an officer's potential.
"It could be as small as how we file paperwork," he said.
He said several officers are attending another leadership development course in Chattanooga.