- June 5, 2026
Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon recently completed the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Command Course, an executive leadership program designed for law enforcement leaders who serve agencies with 50 or fewer sworn officers.
Chief Brannon attended the course with 51 law enforcement executives from across the United States. The program brought together chiefs and executive leaders who face many of the same challenges common to smaller agencies, including staffing limitations, budget constraints, officer wellness, public trust, organizational leadership, and the demand to deliver professional police services with limited resources.
The FBI National Command Course provides advanced instruction, peer collaboration, and leadership development for executives responsible for guiding their agencies through complex public safety issues. The course also gives participants direct access to experienced instructors, national-level resources, and fellow law enforcement leaders from across the country. The week-long training course is provided entirely by the FBI at no cost to the attendees or their respective agency.
During the program, Chief Brannon participated in guided tours and leadership discussions at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon, and the FBI Academy. These experiences provided a powerful opportunity to examine leadership through the lens of history, consequence, moral courage, decision-making, and public service.
The course included meaningful discussions about real-world challenges, successes, and failures faced by leaders whose decisions helped shape the direction of communities, the nation, and the world. For Chief Brannon, the experience reinforced the importance of principled leadership, perspective, accountability, and continued professional growth.
“I was deeply honored to be invited to attend the FBI National Command Course,” Chief Brannon said. “The guided experiences at the Holocaust Museum, Mount Vernon, and the FBI Academy were incredibly impactful. They placed leadership in a much broader perspective by showing how decisions, both courageous and brutal, shape communities, nations, and history itself. I left impressed by the professionalism of the FBI staff and instructors, challenged by the lessons shared, and even more committed to leading our agency with purpose, humility, and resolve.”
Chief Brannon said the course also reinforced the critical role smaller agencies play in American law enforcement.
“Small agencies do not have small missions,” Chief Brannon said. “We carry the same duty to protect, lead, adapt, and build trust as any agency in the country. In many cases, we do it with fewer people, tighter budgets, and a closer daily connection to the communities we serve. This course strengthened my commitment to keep growing as a leader and to keep building a police department our community trusts and respects.”
Chief Brannon’s completion of the FBI National Command Course reflects the Bunnell Police Department’s continued commitment to professional development, strong leadership, officer wellness, public trust, and high-quality service to the community.
Note: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2020, there were 11,788 local police departments in the United States. Of those, 10,255 (about 87%) had fewer than 50 full-time-equivalent sworn officers.
