Penn Township police Chief John Otto is set to begin a 10-week training program with the FBI next week.

Otto will head to Quantico, Va., this weekend to attend the FBI National Academy along with 250 other police executives from around the world. He is one of three from Pennsylvania.

The participants will learn about leadership, ethics, labor laws and decision-making. Physical fitness will be part of the training, he said.

The exposure to other police forces will allow Otto to identify similar problems in Penn Township and learn how other departments handle them, he said. The academy is not a springboard to an FBI job, but designed to make better law enforcement personnel, he said.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," he said. "I hope I can bring something back to the department and to Penn Township."

Otto was nominated for the academy, but said he didn't know who his nominator was. He will return as chief in June.

In the interim, Capt. Ralph Boura will run the department with assistance from Lt. Mike Shirey.

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