"It must be nice for that guy. His department sends him to hang out near Washington DC for ten weeks. That's a long time to be out of touch with the office." Well... not exactly. The 242nd Session of the National Academy is made up of a ton of Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Majors, Captains and Lieutenants, with a smattering of other ranks and titles thrown in for flavor. Up and down the hallways of the dorm, the cafeteria, and the classroom building you can count on hearing the voice of a man or woman on the phone to their department, trying to offer some long-distance help. Whether it takes the form of lending an ear so someone can blow off steam, giving guidance on a complicated procedural matter, or checking on the status of an injured officer, our class is never really "out of touch." One of our international students lost an officer who was killed during a robbery this week. Early in the session, a classmate's long-time friend and former patrol partner was killed on a traffic stop. I bet those NA students wish they were a little closer to home.

I really can't complain. Chief Massey and I have always maintained that our management team is second to none in the state of Maine. Whether we're both out of the office or just tied up handling administrative matters, our Sergeants simply do an outstanding job of deploying resources, managing emerging crisis situations, and directing the action at crime scenes. I hope I make the Chief's life easy most days - I know the Sergeants do that for me.

What I find pretty amazing is the extent to which I am able to remain connected to the Waterville PD (and home) while I'm down here. The Chief and I trade emails on a regular basis. Thankfully I'm able to receive those emails and any text messages directly on my phone, since I'm so rarely in my room sitting at a desk. I'm typing this week's column on a City of Waterville laptop, and with a couple of strokes of the keyboard, I'll be able to mail it off for publication. With a few extra usernames and passwords, I can even log into the City's computer server from Quantico, and retrieve any file I have saved there - which I was able to do today in order to assist the boss with a project he's working on. Now, if you're a member of the digital age, most of this won't impress you - but it's important to stop and think how far we've come in such a short time.

For some folks, being tied to "the electronic leash" can be stressful. I've never thought of it that way. I enjoy being "in the know," and being able to assist even though I'm hundreds of miles away. It does help to keep from feeling disconnected from the department and the city that are so important to me - and hopefully, the pile of work on my desk will not be so big when I return! None of this, mind you, would be possible if it weren't for the technical savvy and outstanding work ethic of the City's Information Services department. It is hard to believe that two individuals are responsible for our entire technology infrastructure: from phones to computers, printers to servers, they do it all. Their help in keeping me connected while I'm living the dream in Quantico is a huge part of what's making this a success: Josh and Lance, I thank you!

Sorry, gotta run - incoming text message...