Indiana State University Newsroom

Ten weeks at the FBI National Academy provided Indiana State University Police Capt. Ian Loomis with training from some of the top law enforcement experts in the country.

But the time he spent at the Quantico, Va. facility also made connections for the university police department that will help make the Indiana State campus safer, Loomis said.

More than 200 local police officers from throughout the nation and from several countries participated in the 257th session of the academy. Since completing the program last month, Loomis has been in regular contact with many of his classmates, FBI officials and some of the more than 17,000 National Academy Associates, graduates of the academy who make up what has been called "the world's largest law enforcement network," he said.

"Every day there is a new email that pops up alerting us about (criminal) trends or the latest information about officer safety. This networking is such a strong and important tool that can help benefit every department," Loomis said.

The Valparaiso, Ind. native who holds a bachelor's degree in criminology from Indiana State said academy sessions placed a strong emphasis on physical fitness as well as such areas as building an intelligence department, investigation and interrogation techniques - "how to talk to a suspect to get the most important answers to your questions," he explained.

Legal issues were also covered - "making sure that your department is not only enforcing the law but is following the law," he said. Attendees also learned about federal laboratory assistance that can be called upon in the event of a major incident.

"We learned just what exactly is available to us if we ever have a large incident, especially if things went downhill," Loomis said. "The availability of resources that the bureau and other government agencies can provide, is something that we just wouldn't think about being able to have here at ISU or within the city of Terre Haute or the state police even, for that matter."

That information is especially valuable for Loomis whose position with the university police department places him in charge of managing security for major campus events, such as football and basketball games and the recent Color Run that drew more than 5,000 participants.

At age 32 and in law enforcement for about 10 1/2 years, the first 1 1/2 years as a correctional officer at the Vigo County Jail, Loomis is younger and less experienced than the typical National Academy attendee. The average experience of participants is 19 years.

Former university police Chief Bill Mercier and current chief Joe Newport recommended him for the program and Newport said Loomis' selection speaks to his maturity and leadership skills.

"Ian has proven himself time and time again, both in the field and as a command officer," Newport said. "We are fortunate to have someone like Capt. Loomis. Our department and the entire university will benefit from his FBI training and from the professional connections he made at the National Academy."

Photo: http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-WSqcLgK/0/3X/i-WSqcLgK-3X.jpg - Capt. Ian Loomis (right) of the Indiana State University Police Department, receives his diploma from FBI Director James Comey Sept. 19, 2014 at the conclusion of the 257th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

Contact: Joe Newport, chief, Indiana State University Police Department, 812-237-7829 or joseph.newport@indstate.edu

Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu