Two Brookhaven detectives have completed an intense certification program.

Det. Capt. Clint Earls and Det. Sgt. Penelope Banks, both of the Brookhaven Police Department, graduated Wednesday from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy (MLEOTA) Certified Investigator Program.

Nineteen other detectives across the state also graduated from the program in this class.

“The purpose of this training is to afford investigators the information necessary to be effective in identifying criminal violators and collecting evidence to obtain conviction. Until this program became available, our State did not have an established curriculum to provide the overall skills for investigators to do their job in the best possible way,” according to CIP Director Robert Cullom.

The course of study consists of 400 hours of classroom instruction given in 10 separate weekly sessions spread over five months. The format was devised so that departments would not have their investigators asent from their duty post for an unreasonable period of time throughout the year while completing the program. “Planning is underway to offer additional specialized training to address specific criminal problems that graduates of this program have identified within their jurisdictions,” Cullom said via statement. “It is envisioned that this course will be a continual work in progress as new technology and techniques are deveoped. This is an opportuity for Mississippi to take a leadership role in the development of law enforcement professional investigators and become a model for other States to adopt.”

BPD Chief Kenneth Collins said he is proud of Earls and Banks.

“I’m really proud of them. I think they are the first two certified investigators we have ever had in the department,” Collins said. “I’m really proud of their hard work and dedication.”