How NBA great Shaq helped suburban police leaders celebrate FBI graduation
A pair of Northwest suburban law enforcement leaders achieved a big career milestone recently, and they had a very big supporter there to help them celebrate.
Arlington Heights Deputy Chief Valerie Andrews and Elk Grove Village police Cmdr. William Callaghan graduated from the prestigious FBI National Academy on Sept. 16, and among those there for the ceremony was NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal, a longtime backer of law enforcement and a sworn sheriff's deputy in Clayton County, Georgia, was named an honorary special agent at the event by FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Some of you will go back to your regular jobs, some of you will go to specialized training, some of you will go do what I do, be undercover,” O’Neal quipped while speaking to the 265 graduates. “But I just want to say I appreciate you guys so much. Congratulations. I am not here for this; I am here for you. … And if you see Charles Barkley, arrest him.”
The FBI National Academy is a 10-week course held at the bureau’s academy in Quantico, Virginia. It provides senior law enforcement supervisors with college-level instruction in law, behavioral and forensic science, leadership development and more.
“It’s just phenomenal training,” Callaghan told us Thursday, praising not just the classroom work, but the physical fitness training aimed at extending the careers of veteran police officers.
The accomplishment carried extra significance for Andrews. She’s the first female police officer from the Arlington Heights Police Department to graduate from the program.
Andrews said perhaps the biggest benefit of the academy was the chance to network with law enforcement leaders from across the country and two dozen countries.
“If I come across something in New Jersey, I now know five people in New Jersey I can contact,” she said. “Over 10 weeks you can create bonds that you can’t in a day.”
As for meeting Shaq? “It was awesome,” Andrews said.
“He gave a great speech, and he stood on the stage for each person who graduated, shook their hand and had something nice to say to them.”
Other suburban law enforcement leaders to graduate from the academy included Algonquin Deputy Chief Timothy Cooney, Park Ridge Cmdr. William Anderson and Westmont Deputy Chief Michael Weibler.
McHenry jail hits ‘Prime’ time
McHenry County correctional officers and the inmates they look after are being featured on the new season of the TV series “Jail,” which debuted Thursday on Amazon Prime and other streaming networks.
The McHenry jail is one of nine across the country that were filmed for the seventh season of the show, which follows corrections officers and deputies through the work that takes place after an arrest.
“This was an opportunity to give viewers a look inside the jail and at the work our corrections staff does every day,” Sheriff Robb Tadelman said. “I’m proud of the professionalism and dedication they bring to a job that most people never see.”
Other jails featured are in downstate Calhoun County; Washington County, Oregon; Calcasieu and Caddo parishes in Louisiana; Oconee County in South Carolina; Wood County in Wisconsin; Clay County in Missouri; and Forsyth County in North Carolina.
Besides Prime, the series can be found on Roku, Sony PlayStation and VIZIO streaming services.
Top dogs
A pair of Lake County Sheriff’s Office K9 teams recently earned national recognition while competing against some of the top police dogs in the nation at the United States Police Canine Association’s 2026 National Patrol Dog Field Trials.
Deputy John Forlenza and canine partner Lux finished second overall in the Patrol Dog competition. Lux also captured first place in criminal apprehension/criminal apprehension with gunfire, and in the evidence search event. He placed fifth in obedience.
Deputy Kevin Harris and partner Zeus finished 14th overall among the national field of competing patrol dog teams and earned fourth place in obedience.
The competition, held this year in Abilene, Texas, tests police canine teams through a series of scored events designed to evaluate skills used in real-world law enforcement operations.
“K9 Lux’s second-place overall finish and the individual event victories are an outstanding achievement, and K9 Zeus also put together a very strong performance,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a statement this week. “These results reflect the dedication and countless hours of training our handlers and K9s put in every day.”
copsandcrime@dailyherald.com