Hollister’s top cop gets rare opportunity to train with FBI

For the first time in more than 20 years, a Hollister police officer is going to the FBI National Academy. Chief David Westrick will be leaving Sunday to train in Quantico, Virginia. The 10-week course is widely recognized as the highest level of law enforcement training in the world and is rare opportunity, less than 1 percent of all law enforcement officers get the chance to attend.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Westrick “I’ve really been wanting to do this for over 25 years.”

Westrick will be taking six graduate level courses in the 10-week program. The classes focus on a wide range of topics from terrorism to cybercrimes, but what kind of difference will the training make for Hollister, a city of roughly 37,000?

“What we’ve found is that when we’ve sent executives off and our police officers off to advanced training is that we’ve brought it back to Hollister and it’s really allowed us upgrade our professionalism to higher levels.”

Other advantages, according to Westrick, include networking and learning to write federal grants. But it isn’t just classroom learning — there’s also physical training.

“I’ve decided to do the 34-mile swim, the 270-mile bike ride the 10k obstacle course and I think there are seven or eight others in there as well,” said Westrick.

After being nominated by city managed Bill Avera, the approval process for Westrick took months, plus the local FBI office only selects six candidates from everyone nominated in Northern California.

“I am of course representing the city of Hollister and the Central Coast and I hope to do the best I can. I want to crush it and do great,” said Westrick.

The cost of the training is paid for by the FBI. The only money cost to the the city is for Westrick’s uniform at the academy. The chief will return at the end of March. Capt. Carlos Reynoso will fill in as acting chief.