THOMASVILLE — Getting to the FBI Academy is no easy trek. For a Thomasville police officer, it meant reaching another goal before reaching for the Academy goal.

Lt. Lavone Shiver, a 19-year Thomasville Police Department officer, knew he had to lose weight before the Academy would consider him. At 280 pounds, he had to reach an Academy requirement of having less than 24 percent total body fat.

Shiver had to lose 65 pounds to become eligible for the Academy at Quantico, Va. Exercise and eating the right food brought him down to 215 pounds.

Shiver, 44, is one of eight TPD officers to graduate from the Academy. Less than 1 percent of law enforcement officers attend the Academy.

Other factors for eligibility include being a supervisor at the rank of lieutenant or above and being recommended by the chief of police.

“You have to exceed performance expectations and meet goals,” Troy Rich, assistant chief, explained.

Also an Academy graduate, Rich said the experience is one of the greatest of his life.

Of the 19 TPD officers who have graduated from the FBI Academy, eight are current command staff members.

Officers attending the Academy share a rare camaraderie. They share experiences and challenges with fellow commanding officers.

Lawmen attending the academy quickly learn that no matter how big or small their departments, they all face the same problems.

Thefts, burglaries and drugs are among law enforcement agencies’ biggest problems. “Drugs lead to thefts and burglaries,” Shiver said.

Retaining employees is another problem among law enforcement agencies.

Shiver described the 10-week Academy course as being like a semester of college. Labor law and legal issues were among the subjects he studied. He will receive college credits at the University of Virginia for the course.

Shiver, who has an associate degree in criminal justice, is working toward a bachelor’s at Thomas University.

His roommate at the FBI Academy was from Montenegro, a country in Southeastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea.