Director, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Connie Patrick was selected as the fifth Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in July 2002. She oversees training for a majority of federal officers and agents from more than 90 federal organizations as well as state, local, and international officers and agents, graduating approximately 63,000 students annually.
Appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 1996, for two decades Director Patrick has led the transformation of professional law enforcement training to ensure effective preparation for those who protect our homeland. Director Patrick began her federal career in 1996 when FLETC was a component of the United States Department of the Treasury. She was selected as the fifth Director of FLETC in July 2002. Director Patrick led FLETC during the formative years of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), when the demand for law enforcement training reached its highest level in our Nation’s history. Today, Director Patrick holds the distinction of being the longest-serving component head within DHS.
Director Patrick provides oversight for the basic and advanced training for the majority of federal officers and agents in a complex landscape marked by tremendous growth and change. Under the Director’s leadership, the number of FLETC federal partner agencies has grown by 22%, from 76 to 93; FLETC’s domestic training sites have grown from two to four; and its footprint in the state, local, and international law enforcement communities has expanded substantially. During the Director’s tenure, FLETC’s annual student throughput has more than doubled to more than 70,000 students. In the past 10 years, FLETC has trained more students than it did in its first 36 years of existence, training over 1.3 million to date.
Prior to her appointment at FLETC, Ms. Patrick completed a distinguished 20-year sworn law enforcement career in Florida where she began serving in 1976 as a Deputy with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. In 1981 she began serving as a Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, where she moved through the ranks to serve in several leadership positions.
Ms. Patrick serves on the National Sheriffs’ Association Education and Awards Committee. She is an active member on the Executive Committee of the National Law Enforcement Exploring Committee. She has received numerous awards, including the government’s highest civil service awards, the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award in 2005 and 2015, and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2001. Ms. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida.