Nation's First Transgender Law Enforcement Commander Heads To FBI Academy
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The first transgender law enforcement commander in the United States is once again breaking ground.
"People will respect you, work with you, judge you based on merit and skill and competence before anything else," said Lesley Mumford.
CBS4 first featured Mumford in June of 2017 when she started transitioning into her new life in Summit County.
She's now in charge of the SWAT team with the sheriff's office. Now she is preparing for her next big adventure.
"Despite institutional or social discrimination, there are avenues toward success. It also means that given equal opportunity, people can the reach their fullest potential," she said.
Officials say she's been selected to attend the FBI National Academy - an elite 10-week training course in Virginia.
"There's not only the academic portion, which is Masters-level coursework, but there's the completion of the yellow brick road which is a 6.1 mile obstacle course built by the Marine Corps," Mumford said.
She is one of roughly 200 law enforcement agents from across the country selected for the academy.
It's a groundbreaking moment for the FBI. Mumford will be the first transgender woman to ever attend the academy in its 83-year history.
"I guess I'm approaching this with a sense a worthiness and resolve," she said. "This door may have been open for me, and it's my duty to make sure that I'm not the last person to walk through it."
Mumford leaves for the academy in July.