Williamson County Precinct 4 Constable's Office given training award

Williamson County Precinct 4 Constable Paul Leal’s office received the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association agency award, becoming the first constable’s office nationwide to have all of its commissioned deputies earn the award.

Leal and his deputies were recognized for their award by Williamson County Commissioners on Sept. 28. At that meeting, ​​FBI-LEEDA representative Frank Woodall told commissioners the Precinct 4 constable's office is one of just a handful law enforcement offices in Texas to receive the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award. That award is given to law enforcement offices that complete the FBI-LEEDA Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute and Executive Leadership Institute courses.

“They are the fifth [law enforcement office] in the state, but they are the first constable’s office to be recognized with this award,” Woodall said.

Further, the Precinct 4 constable’s office is the only constable’s office nationwide to have all of its personnel certified with the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award, according to Williamson County backup documents.

“We’re a small office and when you send half your department away a week at a time for three weeks, that’s a big hit,” Leal said. “We see the benefits of leadership and having good leaders.”

FBI-LEEDA provides leadership training courses to law enforcement agencies across the U.S. As part of its trilogy of leadership courses, law enforcement personnel are trained in topics, such as command discipline, diversity and bias, law enforcement trends, and social and emotional intelligence, among others, according to the FBI-LEEDA website.