By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Captain Neil Fetner of the Clanton Police Department graduated Summa Cum Laude from Columbia Southern University on Sept. 29, 2016.

Fetner earned the highest honors while obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Fetner has been with the Clanton Police Department since 2009 and currently serves as the Commander of the Administrative Services Division. Before serving in Chilton County, Fetner was a native of Randolph County, where he graduated from Handley High School in 1995.

Fetner thanked Chief of Police Keith Maddox for encouraging him to go back to school, and his family for supporting him.

“I could not have reached my personal goals without the support of my family, especially my son Walker. Every week, he was counting down the days until graduation,” Fetner said.

Fetner’s degree brings the total number of degrees at the CPD to seven associate degrees, four bachelor’s, one master’s and one Doctor of Law among the 28 enforcement officers.

More than 30 percent of the law enforcement team at the CPD has college degrees, and every officer has completed training at a police or reserve academy.

According to Maddox, the department encourages and helps officers in whatever way they can once the officers decide to pursue a college education.

“We want to increase their knowledge in any area,” Maddox said. “We prefer law enforcement, but that’s not always the case. We won’t all be cops our whole lives.”

Maddox offered the example that some officers have studied education and gone on to be teachers after their retirement from law enforcement.