When Capt. Chris Sparks started at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in 1998, he set a goal: to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
At A Glance
Biography
Chris Sparks has been with the Benton County Sheriff’s Department since September 1998. He began in the jail where he was promoted to sergeant, he was transferred to the Field Division in 2001, transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division in 2003 and moved to internal affairs in 2009. In 2011, he was promoted to captain and took over administration of the Benton County Jail.
Source: Staff Report
Next month that goal will be a reality for Sparks, administrator at the Benton County Jail, as he heads to Quantico, Va., for 10 weeks of intensive law enforcement training.
“It’s kinda like the Princeton of law enforcement classes,” Sparks said Friday.
The training is offered four times a year and there are 250 candidate slots. Sheriff Keith Ferguson nominated Sparks to attend. Only two people are selected from Arkansas for each training session, Sparks said.
“It’s the finest law enforcement training that an officer can receive,” said Capt. Mike Jones, commander of the Sheriff’s Office Field Division.
Jones attended the National Academy in 1989 while an officer with the Rogers Police Department.
Not only is the training excellent, students have a chance to network with attendees from around the world. Officers from Africa, Australia, England, Japan and Guam were in his class, Jones said. Trainees can learn from each other and if they’re dealing with a criminal who is on the move, it can give them a personal contact at another agency.
Classes at the National Academy include scientific aids in crime detection, preparation of reports, criminal investigation techniques, and administration and organization, according to the academy website. Sparks registered for classes in November. He will get training in management, drug enforcement, violent offenders, labor law and law enforcement administration.
Some people just want the credentials, but Sparks is going to soak up what he learns, said Sheriff-elect Kelley Cradduck.
Sparks will become head of the Criminal Investigation Division on Jan. 1, Cradduck said. Capt. Mike Sydoriak, the division’s commander, is retiring. Lt. Jeremy Guyll is to take over as jail commander, Cradduck said.
It is important to give Sparks the time away to attend the academy, Cradduck said.
“To me, it makes him a more well-rounded law enforcement official,” Cradduck said. “I think it’s a gold star for our department.”