Latest news with #FBINationalAcademy
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spanberger slams FBI relocation, pushes affordability agenda, weighs in on Trump-Newsom
The Brief Spanberger opposes FBI relocation, calling it politically motivated and harmful to national security. She prioritizes affordability, focusing on housing, energy, and healthcare costs in Virginia. She warns against politicizing security, criticizing Trump's handling of National Guard deployments. WASHINGTON - Democratic nominee for Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger is speaking out strongly against the Trump administration's proposal to move the FBI National Academy from Quantico to Alabama—calling the plan "outrageous" and "politically motivated." "This is an issue where politics shouldn't be in play," Spanberger told Jim Lokay on "The Final 5." "Any person who cares about the security of our nation should be concerned." The former CIA officer and congresswoman, who clinched the Democratic nomination earlier this spring and therefore won't be on the ballot in next week's primary, said the decades of training infrastructure and expertise at Quantico can't be easily uprooted. "The FBI needs to have the strength of the training facility and the program that has taken decades to develop and build out," she said. "To up and move it on a whim—it's a terrible idea." Spanberger accused former President Trump of using federal institutions as pawns. "We need the FBI Academy to not be a political pawn, and something that President Trump is just choosing to upend," she said. "To play games with the FBI like this—especially the training of new agents—is just outrageous." The move, she warned, would not only harm Virginia but undermine national security. "When there are terrorist attacks at home, it is the FBI that comes out to investigate—and often thwarts threats before they happen," she added. READ MORE: Virginia governor candidates eye end to Virginia car tax Shifting to her platform, Spanberger outlined a comprehensive affordability agenda for Virginians, including housing, energy, and health care. "In every corner of the Commonwealth, housing costs are pricing people out of the market," she said. "It's impacting where people work, the jobs they can take, and the communities they can afford to live in." Her recently unveiled housing plan seeks to address rising costs statewide, particularly in Northern Virginia. "We need a governor who understands the breadth and scope of the problem and lays out a plan to build more housing and address affordability head-on," she said. When asked about Virginia's No. 1 ranking from CNBC as a state for business under Governor Glenn Youngkin, Spanberger credited both parties. "It's a bipartisan priority," she said. "Governor Youngkin carried on some of the policies of Governor Northam, and I'd continue to build on them too." On the campaign trail, one issue keeps coming up: the car tax. Efforts to repeal it have failed in the past, but both candidates have made proclamations about their intent to carry through with the effort. Spanberger called it "the most hated tax in all of Virginia" and said she's committed to working with lawmakers to eliminate it. She acknowledged that doing so would be complicated. "The devil's in the details," she said, pointing to the need for a constitutional amendment and its role in funding local governments. Spanberger also weighed in on the escalating fight between California and the Trump administration over National Guard deployments. If faced with a similar situation in Virginia, she said she would prioritize working with local officials rather than being dictated to by Washington. "When local and state law enforcement say they don't need additional resources, it calls into question the state's autonomy," she said. "It should not be the case that the president is dictating or mandating deployments." What they're saying Spanberger warned against the politicization of security responses. "What we're seeing in California is violence being used as a political tool," she said. "The president's efforts to politicize it are fanning the flames—and that's not what law enforcement is asking for." We have placed several requests to speak with Republican nominee Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and we hope to speak with her during the campaign. The Source Information in this article comes from Democratic nominee for Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dan Bongino wants to move FBI training program from iconic Quantico HQ to Alabama: report
Leaders in the FBI are reportedly pushing to move one of the bureau's training programs from its headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, to Huntsville, Alabama, as part of President Donald Trump's desire to move federal agencies out of the Washington D.C. area. Dan Bongino, the FBI deputy director, has preliminarily proposed moving the FBI National Academy, a 10-week training academy for 250 domestic and international law enforcement officers, to Huntsville, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The FBI's training program for new bureau hires and other parts of its facilities, including the laboratory division, would remain at Quantico, people familiar with the discussion told The Post. While the proposal is still in preliminary stages, it aligns with Trump's April deadline asking agencies to create plans to move their headquarters from Washington D.C., to separate areas of the country to 'be where the people are.' However, the push to move to Huntsville, the most populous city in Alabama, has drawn criticism from some personnel who believe the move could be unjustifiably costly, The Post reported. While the FBI has operated at Redstone Arsenal, a U.S. Army base near downtown Huntsville, for decades, some expressed concern that sending hundreds of staff and agents to set up the training facility would require upgrades. 'If you look at FBI field offices, for example, you'll see many that are not located in downtown areas given the highly specialized nature of these facilities and their security requirements,' Norman Dong, the former Public Buildings Service commissioner under the Obama administration, told Federal News Network in April. 'In places like Atlanta or Sacramento, these FBI offices are located far outside of the central city,' Dong added. The FBI Academy is currently located in Quantico, a town in Prince William County, Virginia, which is approximately 35 miles outside of D.C. A spokesperson for the FBI said that any relocation options were being evaluated to determine if it could save the bureau money while also serving as a sufficient facility. Since Trump took office in January, the bureau has undergone significant changes, beginning with its leadership. Trump nominated Kash Patel to serve as FBI director despite Patel having a history of taking controversial pro-Trump stances. The president then tapped Bongino, a former Secret Service agent who became a popular right-wing podcaster, as deputy director. After Patel was sworn in, he said he would relocate roughly 1,000 staff and agents out of the D.C. office and said he'd move 500 people to the Huntsville facility so the FBI could have more of a presence in other cities. Trump proposed moving federal buildings and agencies outside of D.C. during his first administration, but the plan did not have immense success, in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump moved the Bureau of Land Management's headquarters from D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado in 2019 so it could be closer to the land it manages. However, a review by the Biden administration found that the move caused more than 80 percent of the agency's employees to leave. Eventually, the headquarters were restored back to Washington D.C.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Chesapeake Sheriff's Office appoints first female Chief Deputy in city's history
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A newly appointed Chief Deputy has made history as the first female to hold the position in the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office. Chief Deputy Jenny Stafford is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and leads the Aspire program, which is a female scholarship program. Although Stafford was unable to attend her official ceremony, Sheriff Dave Rosado recognized her for her dedication, leadership and commitment to service. Prior to her role as Chief Deputy, Stafford supervised corrections, booking, accreditation, classifications, work force, administration, civil enforcement and was the Sheriff's Office Training Academy Director. Continue to check for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Calhoun County Commission honors Sheriff Wade for his service
ANNISTON — Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade was honored Thursday for his nearly three decades of service. He is retiring, and his last day is Monday. Commissioner Lee Patterson thanked Wade for his dedication to the community. "Being a servant is a calling and it has been the biggest privilege of my life to serve other people,' Wade said during the commission meeting. 'That's what makes the job very enjoyable. After 29 years — and everything has a season — my season has come to an end. One of the biggest things I will miss is being able to help people, but I will still be around and help people in a different way." Wade began his public service in high school when he joined the Army Reserve. He completed basic training at Fort Sill, Okla., and trained as an aviation operations specialist at Fort Rucker. In 1996, he started his law enforcement career as a correctional officer at the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. He advanced through the ranks as a deputy, investigator, emergency services team member and chief deputy, serving 12 years under Sheriff Larry Amerson. Appointed sheriff in 2016, Wade made history as the first Calhoun County deputy to graduate from the FBI National Academy. He later became the first law enforcement executive to complete the Department of Homeland Security Leadership Academy, the FBI National Academy and the National Sheriffs' Institute. Wade, recently named president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, was honored by all five commissioners for his leadership and dedication. Also during the meeting, the commissioners passed resolutions on several items, including repaving Bynum-Leatherwood Road between Alabama 202 up to a point north of Morrisville Road. One visitor to the meeting, Audrey Maxwell, is the tourism director at the Calhoun County Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. She reminded those in attendance that sports tournaments are underway at the Choccolocco Park. Also, she mentioned several big events in Anniston that are coming up, including The Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium on Saturday, April 5. Visitor Kevin Chandler introduced himself as the new park ranger at the Freedom Riders National Monument. The rangers' job will include making small changes to the monument, which includes the old bus depot on Gurnee Avenue and the site of the bus burning on Alabama 202.
