(COLUMBIANA, AL) On Thursday, September 14, 2023, Captain Mark Bishop graduated from the 287th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. This intensive 10-week executive-level program is designed for leaders in law enforcement organizations around the globe. Being an alum of the FBI National Academy is one of the most prestigious designations a law enforcement officer can achieve, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is honored to add Captain Bishop to its long history of graduates.
Captain Bishop started his career in law enforcement in 1997 as a reserve deputy with the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office. In 1999, he was hired as a deputy sheriff with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the Corrections Division. He has been with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office since 2001. Throughout his career, he has held numerous assignments including corrections, patrol deputy, Criminal Investigations supervisor, patrol watch commander, negotiator, and Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies accreditation manager. He currently serves as the Administrative Division Commander.
Captain Bishop received his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University in 1999 and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Troy University in 2012. He has attended the FBI’s Southeastern Leadership Development Seminar, and he was a 2014 graduate of Leadership Shelby County. He has been actively involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics and in 2018, he was selected to represent Alabama as an officer in the Final Leg of the LETR for the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle, WA.
Sheriff Samaniego Stated, “I am thrilled that Shelby County is served by some of the finest law enforcement professionals such as Captain Bishop, who have graduated from the FBI National Academy. He has served the citizens well and I look forward to him sharing what he has learned with the men and women he leads.”
Captain Bishop joins other Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Command Staff members as an FBI National Academy graduate, including Sheriff Samaniego of the 176th, Chief Clay Hammac of the 270th, Major Jay Fondren of the 218th, Captain Russell Bedsole of the 277th, and Captain Jason Myrick of the 280th.