Parsons Police Receives FBI-LEEDA Agency Trilogy Award
National recognition highlights department-wide commitment to leadership excellence, professional development, and the citizens of Parsons.
For Immediate Release
Date: October 29, 2026
Contact: Lieutenant Jason Ludwig
Phone: (620) 421-7060
Email: jludwig@parsonspdks.gov
The Parsons Police Department is proud to announce that it has earned the prestigious FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA) Agency Trilogy Award, a distinguished national recognition awarded to law enforcement agencies whose entire command staff has successfully completed the organization's rigorous Trilogy Leadership Series. During the October 29, 2026, Parsons City Commission work session, the department formally presented this achievement to the City Commission, recognizing not only the dedication, commitment, and continued professional development of the department's leadership but also the unwavering support of the City Commission in prioritizing advanced training and professional excellence. This accomplishment reflects a shared commitment between the Parsons Police Department and city leadership to strengthening public safety through education, accountability, and exceptional leadership.
This achievement represents a significant milestone for the Parsons Police Department and demonstrates its continued commitment to professional development, organizational excellence, and providing the highest level of law enforcement service to the Parsons community.
Unlike the individual Trilogy Award, which recognizes a single law enforcement professional for completing the three required leadership courses, the Agency Trilogy Award recognizes an entire department's leadership team for meeting those same rigorous standards. Every member of the Parsons Police Department's command staff has earned their individual Trilogy Award, demonstrating a unified commitment to leadership education from the Chief of Police through the department's lieutenants.
The department's command staff members who successfully completed the Trilogy Leadership Series include:
- Chief of Police Robert L. Spinks
- Deputy Chief Dennis K. Dodd
- Lieutenant Sherri D. McGuire
- Lieutenant Kyle R. E. Wiford
- Lieutenant Jason W. Ludwig
The FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Leadership Series consists of three intensive professional development programs, each requiring 5 days of instruction:
- Supervisor Leadership Institute: Focuses on leadership fundamentals, effective communication, decision-making, employee motivation, accountability, and the responsibilities associated with supervising law enforcement personnel.
- Command Leadership Institute: Emphasizes organizational leadership, personnel management, critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and the development of effective leadership practices within law enforcement organizations.
- Executive Leadership Institute: Concentrates on executive-level leadership, strategic planning, organizational development, managing change, and addressing the complex challenges facing today's law enforcement executives.
Earning the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award requires each participant to successfully complete all three leadership institutes, totaling 15 days of advanced professional education per individual.
With all five members of the Parsons Police Department's command staff completing the program, the department has invested a combined 75 days in leadership development. This represents 15 individual course completions and approximately three weeks of specialized instruction per command staff member.
The accomplishment required more than simply attending classes. It demanded coordination, planning, and a commitment to maintaining daily police operations while members of the department's leadership team pursued advanced professional education. For an agency serving a community the size of Parsons, dedicating this level of time and resources to leadership training represents a substantial organizational investment.
Chief Spinks emphasized the importance of the accomplishment and what it represents for the department and the community. "Leadership is not something that comes automatically with a rank or a title. It is something that must be developed, challenged, and continually improved. Having every member of our command staff complete this training demonstrates that we are committed to holding ourselves to the same high standards that we expect from the officers and employees we lead. This award is not simply a recognition of five individuals. It represents our commitment as an organization to becoming better leaders, making better decisions, and ultimately providing better service to the citizens of Parsons."
The achievement is especially meaningful for a community the size of Parsons. While larger agencies may have greater staffing and training resources, the Parsons Police Department has made professional development a priority, recognizing that the quality of leadership should never be determined by the size of a department or the population it serves.
The department has also demonstrated its commitment to law enforcement education by hosting all three FBI-LEEDA Trilogy courses in Parsons, ending this December. Bringing nationally recognized leadership training directly to Southeast Kansas has provided valuable professional development opportunities not only for Parsons officers but also for law enforcement professionals from surrounding agencies and communities.
By hosting these courses locally, the Parsons Police Department has helped make advanced leadership education more accessible to law enforcement professionals throughout the region while strengthening relationships and encouraging cooperation among agencies.
FBI-LEEDA is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing law enforcement leadership through professional education and training. Although its history and name reflect its association with the FBI, FBI-LEEDA operates independently and is not a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This investment in leadership is part of a larger effort by the Parsons Police Department to strengthen professionalism, accountability, and organizational effectiveness.
The department's achievement of Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (KLEAP) accreditation in 2026, combined with the FBI-LEEDA Agency Trilogy Award, reflects a deliberate effort to establish high professional standards and continually improve the services provided to the public.
These accomplishments demonstrate that the Parsons Police Department is not content with simply meeting minimum requirements. Instead, the department continues to pursue opportunities that challenge its personnel, strengthen its leadership, and establish a culture of continuous improvement.
For the citizens of Parsons, these accomplishments represent more than certificates, plaques, or recognition. They represent a police department willing to invest the time, effort, and resources necessary to ensure that its leadership is prepared to make difficult decisions, support its employees, maintain public trust, and meet the evolving challenges of law enforcement.
The FBI-LEEDA Agency Trilogy Award is not the finish line for the Parsons Police Department. It is another step in an ongoing commitment to excellence.
The Parsons Police Department remains dedicated to its core values of Pride, Professionalism, and Dedication, recognizing that strong leadership is the foundation of a professional police organization and that the ultimate beneficiaries of that leadership are the people it serves.
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