Dr. Headrick began his law enforcement career in 1986 as a patrol deputy with the Blount County (TN) Sheriff’s Office. While in the patrol division, he was a member of the special response team, dive team, and field training officer. In 1989, he was assigned to the Tennessee 5th Judicial District Drug Task Force as an undercover investigator and later as the assistant director in 1990. In 1991, he was promoted to the criminal investigation division (CID) as a detective. In CID, he received promotions to sergeant in 1996, lieutenant in 2000, and division commander (captain) in 2001. The division commander oversaw the management and operations involving detectives, crime scene investigators & AFIS, domestic violence, child abuse, sex offender registration, victim/witness services, polygraph examinations, internal affairs, and background investigations. Dr. Headrick has been a CALEA assessor and team leader since 2004, conducting policing accreditation assessment services throughout the United States. He served as the accreditation manager for one cycle in 2008. He received specialized training in criminal investigation, death investigation, child abuse investigation, narcotics investigation, covert & technical surveillance, white-collar crime, instructor development, leadership and management, use of force, and internal affairs. He graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy (TLETA) Basic Law Enforcement School in 1986. At TLETA, his peers selected him to receive the outstanding police officer award, and he also received the highest academic honors for the class of 525. In 2003, Dr. Headrick earned the distinction of attending and completing the FBI National Academy (FBINA) in Quantico, Virginia, Session 212. Additionally, he served as a Tennessee P.O.S.T certified law enforcement instructor with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office Basic Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy. He retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 with 30 years of dedicated and honorable public safety service.
Publications/Presentations/Lectures: ProQuest: Transformational Leadership in Law Enforcement: Methods and Practices for Change and Sustaining Reform in the Future Department: Leadership