Cabot Police Lt. Keith Graham said he’s always wanting to get more education in his field.
Graham, 43, recently returned from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The academy is a 10-week class for U.S. and international law enforcement managers and provides coursework in intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication and forensic science.
“I’m big into education,” Graham said. “Education is a big key to success. I was doing some research to either go get my master’s degree or go to law school. I saw that the FBI put out a national academy, which is very selective. Only 1 percent of the world’s law enforcement gets selected to attend.”
Graham said he contacted some FBI agents with whom he attended the police academy.
“I touched base with them and got their thoughts on it,” he said. “They said it was the best experience they had. I applied for it two years ago. I was selected pretty quickly.”
Graham attended the school for 10 weeks in Virginia.
“I lived out there, ate out there and trained out there,” he said. “It’s basically a senior-leadership, executive-management-type school where you learn how to deal with employees, how to deal with the public, how to deal with a police department, how to deal with all the different types of people we encounter.”
Additionally, Graham said, he learned various crisis techniques, leadership styles and management styles.
“It was just how to be a leader of your department,” he said.
Graham said the things he learned at the FBI National Academy will benefit the Cabot Police Department.
“It will benefit the Police Department drastically,” he said. “It will benefit the city and the public that we serve every day, being more professional and transparent, especially in today’s world, with video and body cameras.
“You’ve got to be more transparent, and you’ve got to get out in front of stuff. If you don’t, that’s when it could be a problem. You’ve got to be able to lead a transparent department that is professional and takes care of its citizens but holds officers accountable, too, if they do make a mistake.”
Longtime Cabot Chief of Police Jackie Davis said the knowledge that Graham gained will benefit Cabot.
“We are excited that he got the opportunity to go, and we are looking forward to the training and information that he is bringing back to the Police Department,” Davis said. “He’ll be able to share that with the department and the officers who work with and for him.”
Graham said he enjoyed the opportunity to go to Quantico.
“Being away from home was probably the worst part,” he said. “The training was great. The FBI brought in the best of the best to train us. There is no other better program to train in than the ones they brought in, between the speakers and the physical-fitness program they have. Everybody knows their stuff. They teach it and teach it well.
“I would do it again if I was chosen to go back. Obviously, I can’t. It is the premier training that any law enforcement officer could receive, by far.”
Graham has worked for the Cabot Police Department since 2004, starting out as a patrolman. He became a patrol sergeant in 2008. He also worked as the public information and training sergeant.
“In 2015, we ended up doing promotions,” Graham said. “I ended up being promoted to lieutenant. I chose to come back to the roads to mentor some of the younger officers. That is where we sit now.”
Graham, whose father is Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham, moved all over the country while growing up because his father was in the Air Force. Keith Graham graduated from high school in 2005 in Illinois but moved to Arkansas after his father was stationed at the Little Rock Air Force Base, from which he retired.
“I followed my family down there,” he said. “I started college at Arkansas State University-Beebe. I went into the military after one semester there. I ended up working my way through college.”
Graham joined the Arkansas Air National Guard in 1996 and stayed until 2003. He finished college at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and criminal justice.
Graham said he wanted to get into law enforcement because he wanted to help people.
“I’ve always lived around helping people,” he said. “Dad did it in the military. My family comes from a law enforcement background. I ended up just enjoying it.”
Graham said that as a police officer, he sometimes sees people in their worst situations.
“Trying to have that positive light and trying to have a positive attitude going into it to help them is the best situation,” he said. “I couldn’t narrow down to just one. There are numerous ones where you deal with the loss of a child or the loss of a family member, and you’ve got to help them through that situation. That’s probably been the biggest thing to me. That sticks with me because I can recall almost every single time I’ve talked to someone who lost a child or lost a family member.”
Graham said he tries to treat everyone with respect.
“As long as we’re receiving it, too,” he said. “Sometimes, you have to do your job. For the most part, you always want to treat people well and understand that they are going through a crisis.”
Graham said he appreciates being able to work in the city where he lives.
“Cabot is a great city,” he said. “We have a lot of positive changes that we’re making under the new mayor. We’re really moving forward as a city. It’s becoming a better and better city every single year.”
Graham said the Cabot Police Department is growing.
“I get to know the people here,” he said. “Obviously, I get to know all the officers. We’re not the largest agency in the state. We’re 47 officers, and we’re growing. To get to know them and see them when they all started out and have been here five to eight years, it’s a good thing.”
After 15 years in law enforcement, Graham does have higher aspirations.
“I’m too old to do the FBI,” he said. “That never really interested me — to be a federal agent. It was always the local law enforcement. I want to eventually move up to a chief somewhere. I want to grow in the department here. Hopefully, I’ll be able to lead the department in a good way and stay here in Cabot.”
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.