McCandless police chief graduates from FBI Academy

A yellow brick means a lot to McCandless police Chief Ryan Hawk, as it signifies his successful completion of training at the FBI National Academy.

Hawk is part of the 292nd graduating class of the academy, located in Quantico, Va., where he trained for 10 weeks. Only he and one other person in the Pittsburgh region were part of the most recent graduating class.

“My experience at the FBI National Academy was fantastic. The training challenged me in many ways, both professionally and personally. I graduated on Dec. 12 and earned a master’s certificate through the FBI and the University of Virginia, as well as my yellow brick,” Hawk said.

The yellow brick refers to a challenging, 6-mile obstacle course called the Yellow Brick Road usually done in the last week of the program. Those who pass the test receive a personalized yellow brick, according to the FBI National Academy online description at www.fbi.gov.

FBI’s first director, J. Edgar Hoover, began the FBI Academy in 1935, according to Hawk, who called the program the “gold standard in law-enforcement executive training.”

The primary focus of the training is academics and physical fitness, Hawk said. Other areas of concentration included mental health and well-being, as well as classes on subjects that affect law enforcement and society. Students learned about critical incident decision-making, national security, counterterrorism, crisis, negotiations and the law-enforcement image, Hawk said.

FBI Academy instructors, special agents and other staff members with advanced degrees provide the training.

The program provided professional networking opportunities. Hawk said he now has a colleague who is a law-enforcement executive for the Nevada state-gaming control board that he can reach out to if his agency needs assistance for any reason in the casinos of Las Vegas.

Hawk said he also now has friends and colleagues who are federal law-enforcement executives in Spain and Japan and multiple countries in South America.

His session graduated 257 law-enforcement executives, including 25 international students.

“I believe this training is important for the town and the community from the aspect that I had an opportunity for professional growth in this position as the chief of police. And that training will be utilized when applicable to better the police department for the sake of the community and the officers,” Hawk said.

Hawk, 49, is originally from Worthington in rural Armstrong County. He spent three years with the City of Pittsburgh Police Department before joining the McCandless Police Department in February 2003. Hawk reached the rank of detective in 2006, was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2013, then lieutenant in 2018 and was sworn in as chief in 2020.

“To locate other graduates of this training, you need to look no further than the North Hills, where other police, chief and command officers preceded my attendance,” he said.

Hawk requested and was approved for the training from McCandless town management and council.

The FBI covers the cost of the training for all students, and the town paid $3,000 to cover incidentals and optional trainings, which included some meals, uniforms and travel.

John Schwend, town manager for McCandless, said the cost was well worth it.

“Quite a deal if you ask me for the amount of training that was provided,” Schwend said.

“This was an invaluable opportunity for the chief to learn from some of the most well-respected leaders in law enforcement, including education on critical incident leadership, national security for law enforcement and crisis negotiations.”

McCandless also covered Hawk’s salary while he was training and “used the two lieutenants to help run the day-to-day operations while he was gone so there was no additional cost of manpower,” Schwend said.

In addition to the other Pittsburgh graduate, Hawk said there was another Pennsylvania resident who was part of his class, Lt. Dave Loughner from Penn Township in Westmoreland County.