S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 15, 2017
13
21
McKnight was the Tribe’s first police officer
FBI TRAINING continued
from front page
ters in Quantico, Va.
After exhausting every training
opportunity in Oregon, McKnight
said he was seeking to further
improve his skills as police chief
when he heard about the National
Academy from a Baker City officer
who had attended.
“I don’t have tons of experience
as a police officer, only going on
seven years, so I am trying to get
as much training as possible,” McK-
night said. “I did all the trainings
in Oregon, and this was the best
opportunity I could find elsewhere
that would help me with the edu-
cational part of it.”
McKnight, 40, was tapped as
Grand Ronde’s second police chief
in December 2015. He succeeded Al
LaChance, who retired in February
2016.
McKnight was the Tribe’s first
police officer after graduating from
the Oregon Department of Public
Safety Standards Academy and
he jumped right into the thick of
things, getting the department up
and running.
“When the opportunity came to ap-
ply to the National Academy, I had to
figure everything out on my own,” he
said. “Most of the larger departments
have someone who has gone before
and can help with the process. But
I am used to tackling new things so
I figured it out, with the help of my
lieutenant and sergeant.”
According to FBI.gov, leaders
and managers of state, local, coun-
ty, Tribal, military, federal and
international law enforcement
agencies may attend the academy,
but participation is by invitation
only through a nomination process.
“There is a highly competitive
process that local law enforcement
officers must go through before
being selected for this honor,” said
Beth Ann Steele, FBI Portland’s
public information officer. “That
process includes a nomination by
a supervisor, interviews of the can-
didate and co-workers to determine
leadership skills and abilities, a
background check, a determination
of physical fitness and support of
former National Academy gradu-
ates within the candidate's orga-
nization.”
Each year, the FBI sponsors four
sessions of the National Academy,
and provides U.S. students with
tuition, books, equipment, meals,
lodging and travel to and from their
home.
The academy began in 1935, cre-
ated in response to a 1930 study by
the Wickersham Commission that
recommended the “standardization
and professionalization of law en-
forcement departments across the
U.S. through centralized training.”
Courses at the time included scien-
tific aids in crime detection, report
preparation, criminal investigation
techniques, and administration and
organization. After World War II
began, courses were added in espi-
onage and sabotage.
McKnight was nominated by
Tribal General Manager David
If you go
Chat With the Chief
When: Noon to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25
Where: Grand Ronde Police
Department, 9655 Grand
Ronde Road. Lunch will be
provided.
More information: 503-879-
1474
Fullerton.
“I want to thank Tribal Council
and Dave Fullerton for having the
trust in me to represent the Tribe
in such high executive training,”
he said.
Fullerton said the FBI training
was a win-win.
“It’s important to have someone
who aspires to better themselves,”
Fullerton said. “And Jake has the
interest in getting more skills.
When the FBI comes calling, you
don’t pass that up. It was a great
opportunity we didn’t want him to
miss out on.”
Of the 239 in his class, McKnight
said he was the only Tribal officer.
Participants hailed from every
state, along with international
attendees.
Classes were offered in law, be-
havioral science, forensic science,
understanding terrorism/terrorist
mindsets, leadership, communi-
cation and health/fitness. Courses
included leadership and specialized
training, where officers shared
ideas, techniques and personal
experiences.
McKnight applied late last year
for the 10-week training and was
shocked when he received a call
from the FBI within a few weeks.
“I was told it was a two-year
waiting list,” he said. “But I got
a call back to attend the class in
January 2017. But it was too early
for me to take care of everything
I needed to do before I went, so I
selected the July class. … I was
lucky to be chosen so fast because
some people waited years for the
opportunity to go.
“It is basically like going to col-
lege and living in a dorm room. We
shared a room and bathrooms, and
were in classes all day.”
Training began at 7:30 a.m. and
lasted until 5 p.m. Courses were
taught by FBI agents who special-
ized in a particular area of study.
“It was very helpful to get the per-
spective of someone who has done
the job and been out in the field,”
McKnight said. “They understood
what you were going through.”
For example, Critical Incident
Leadership Negotiations was
taught by the agent who negoti-
ated with Somali pirates during
the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. con-
tainer ship Maersk Alabama. The
incident was later made into the
movie “Captain Phillips” starring
Tom Hanks.
“You just can’t get that experi-
ence anywhere else,” McKnight
said. “And that was the type of in-
structors we had. My public speak-
ing class was taught by someone
by the National
Academy experi-
ence was that of
living on the East
Coast.
“The West Coast
is a lot slower
paced,” McKnight
said. “And on the
East Coast, it is
just different, an
experience. Noth-
ing seems to get
started until noon
on weekends. And
traffic can be a
nightmare. Peo-
ple are a lot more
relaxed here. It
was nice to see
how good we have
it.”
Courtesy photo by Jim Lockard
Alth ou gh th e
Grand Ronde Tribal Police Chief Jake McKnight carries
networking op-
a sandbag while competing in the Muscle Mania event
portunities McK-
night encountered
during his training at the FBI’s National Academy.
were invaluable,
the
other
rewarding
aspect was the
with tons of experience. The drug
return
of
his
physical
fitness.
(enforcement strategies) class was
“I worked out all of my life, then
taught by a DEA agent. She knew
just stopped for a year,” he said. “But
everything about every drug you
my physical fitness class helped me
could think of, and is still sending
learn a ton while I was there, and
us information. She is probably
I got my mind and body back into
always going to be a huge resource
it. The instructor was the type who
for me.”
gave 110 percent, and if you weren’t
Like many people, McKnight
giving the same, you felt bad.”
said he was not comfortable with
This preparation and experience
the public speaking part of this job
helped McKnight drop two things:
and said that the class was helpful.
His weight by 25 pounds and his
McKnight’s other classes were
mile time by several minutes, post-
Legal Issues for Command Level
ing
a 6:04 by the time the academy
Officers, Essentials for Law En-
was over.
forcement Leaders, and Fitness
He also participated in the famous
and Law Enforcement. Courses are
“Yellow Brick Road” run, the final
accredited through the University
test of the fitness challenge. It is a
of Virginia.
race that includes a grueling 6.1-
“It wasn’t so much about doing
mile run through a hilly, wooded
papers and schoolwork, but most of
trail built by the Marines. Along the
it was group activities,” McKnight
way, participants must scale walls,
said. “There were lots of discussions
run through creeks, jump through
with other students, who all had a
simulated windows, rope climb rock
ton of experience in law enforce-
faces, crawl under barbed wire in
ment. That is what I am lacking,
muddy water, maneuver across
so I wanted to sponge it all up as
a cargo net and more. When the
much as possible. The beauty of this
course is completed, students re-
whole program is the networking.”
ceive a yellow brick to memorialize
Since he returned a few weeks
their achievement, which McKnight
ago, McKnight said he has already
has displayed in his office.
utilized new connections for two
“I think the fitness part to this
local law enforcement issues he has
is
huge,” he said. “Hopefully, I can
come across.
bring
some of that back to my guys
“You will never get this group of
and get them working out and in
experienced people in one room ex-
the gym.”
cept at National Academy,” he said.
McKnight also said that it was a
“It was also nice to hear from the
credit to the Grand Ronde Tribal
different countries to see how they
Police Department’s nine other em-
solved problems. Like in the UK
ployees how smoothly everything
(United Kingdom), where no one
went while he was gone for three
carries guns, but it works for them.”
months.
McKnight, who grew up in the
“They really picked up the slack
area, said that local police are for-
and it feels good, like I have been
tunate to have the support of Grand
doing this job right and everyone
Ronde community members.
understands how to do things,” he
“We need to continue to make
said.
sure that we are community polic-
“They really held down the de-
ing,” he said. “A lot of departments
partment and kept things running
don’t get that one-on-one time. It is
smoothly,” Fullerton said.
nice to reflect on that and see.”
Most of all, McKnight wants to
In keeping with the theme of
thank his wife, Tamara, and his
community policing, McKnight will
four children.
host a “Chat With the Chief,” event
“I really want to express my grati-
on Friday, Oct. 25, at the new police
tude to her for taking care of things
department building. Lunch will
while I was gone for three months,”
be served.
he said.
Another opportunity allowed