Over is 1 of 2 Current RCPD Officers to Complete Prestigious Program at Quantico
It wasn’t your usual business trip.
Rockville police Maj. Eric Over recently spent 10 weeks at the FBI National Academy. He and 226 other officers from around the world completed coursework in intelligence theory, understanding terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communications, leadership and forensic science. “NA,” as it is known in law enforcement circles, also includes a final fitness test known as the Yellow Brick Road – a grueling 6.1-mile run through a hilly, wooded, obstacle-laden trail built by the Marines, whose base at Quantico, Virginia is the academy’s home.
Over, who graduated March 17, said the experience “exceeded my expectations.” Attendees live at the academy and share knowledge with each other. “The wide range of training we received, coupled with shared ideas, techniques and experiences, created lifelong partnerships that transcend state and national borders,” he said.
The academy was established in 1935 in response to a Hoover administration report that recommended centralized training to standardize and professionalize law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Officers are nominated by their agency to attend, though just 1 percent of law enforcement personnel nationally have the opportunity. Over is the third Rockville City Police Department officer to graduate the program, along with acting Chief Bob Rappoport and former Chief Terrance N. Treschuk.
Over said he plans to put the processes he learned to work at the RCPD, where he oversees the Public Safety Communications Center, neighborhood services, code enforcement and community enhancement, the citywide security system and fiscal management, among other duties.
A Thomas S. Wootton High School graduate who attended Montgomery College and served in the Marine Corps, Over cites a love of Rockville as the reason for his 28 years of service on the city’s police force.
“Rockville is my home and I have a vested personal interest in preserving the quality of life for others that I have experienced in my lifetime here,” he said.