Crime & Safety
Martinez Police Captain Back From FBI Academy
Capt. Eric Ghisletta said the experience was "once in a lifetime."
From the first of April through mid-June, the Martinez Police Department had to make due with one less officer while Eric Ghisletta (then a commander, now a captain) spent 10 weeks at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
“Overall it was a good experience,” Ghisletta said. “It was a long time to be away from home – I definitely missed my family. But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The academy paid for everything: transportation, room and board, and the school itself. And the students come from all over the world to study various law enforcement techiques.
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“There were people there from 48 states and 22 countries,” he said. “That of itself was worth the price of admission.”
This reporter assumed that, since it was the FBI Academy, there would be days of simulated bank robberies, car chases and gun battles. But that was not the reality, Ghisletta said. There was an entire catalog of classes from which to choose, and he picked the ones he felt would best serve the force back home.
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“I didn’t even bring a gun with me,” he said.
His favorite class?
“Physical training,” he said without hesitation. “It introduced a realistic workout for someone with my schedule. I don’t have two or three hours a day to work out in the gym. This showed me a core workout, 30 to 45 minutes, that I can use in my daily life.”
He also studied a Leadership in Ethics class, which he called “fantastic. We discussed ethical decisions people have made throughout their careers. It really made me think, and I learned a lot. That class gave me a gut-check on who I am. I had to take a good look at myself from the inside.”
He said that the Labor Law class was also extremely helpful in his new position as captain.
“I wanted to make sure we’re doing things right and fair,” Ghisletta said. “I was the Martinez Police Officers Association president coming up through the ranks. I want to make sure the force is not being treated unfairly.”
Overall, the father of three said the time spent away from his family was difficult, but now that he has a chance to look back on it, the experience was well worth it.
“It was really, overall, a college experience, “ he said. “We were living in a dorm room, four guys sharing one bathroom, eating cafeteria food. In hindsight, it was a much better experience than it seemed like when I was there. It was tough to be away from my family. Now that I’m back, I appreciate it a lot more.”
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