First female CPD officer graduates from FBI academy

Capt. Cynthia Waggoner has a habit of making close connections at work. She loves the people she works with, but these relationships can make it hard for her to accept promotions.

“You get very happy, you get good people around you, and why do you want to leave it?” Waggoner said.

So when Chief Skip Holbrook offered to nominate her to attend the FBI Academy in 2021, she said no. But after three years, she finally changed her mind.

“Man, I was lucky. I’m glad I got there,” Waggoner said. “Not everyone else gets this opportunity.”

Waggoner graduated in September from the FBI National Academy’s 10-week leadership program. She is the first woman from CPD to do so.

She said the best part about the program were the bonds she made with her classmates.

“The people, by far, make it,” Waggoner said. “It’s wild how close you get with these people. … You’re connecting with friends, hopefully for life.”

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott attended the same program in 1988. He said the academy is intense but a milestone for officers hoping to climb the chain of command.

“Just about everybody who goes through the FBI National Academy ends up being a sheriff, chief or some command staff officer,” Lott said. “That’s a kind of stamp of approval that … you’re going to be a good leader one day.”

Waggoner hopes this achievement is more than a stepping stone in her career.

“I hope it brings innovative ideas, problem solving,” she said. “I hope that we’ll continue to grow our department and produce young leaders to take these reins when we’re gone.”

As one of two female command staffers, Waggoner is a role model for other female officers. She is part of the 30×30 Initiative, which aims to have women represent 30% of police recruits nationwide by 2030.

Women make up 12% of officers in the United States. At CPD, that number is 20%.

“Other people are watching her,” said Jennifer Timmons, CPD’s public information officer. “Other females are watching her accomplish this. She’s working up to her goals. I mean, that’s an accomplishment in itself.”

Waggoner started with CPD in 2005 and earned Rookie of the Year in 2006. She worked as a K–9 officer for 12 years, and even started an Instagram page for her canine partners, Anna and Jazz. She earned the Medal of Valor in 2020, and was appointed captain in 2021.

She always wanted to stay engaged with her staff as she moved up in the ranks.

“My goals are that I’m still connected to the policing aspect of it, the boots on the ground,” she said. “For there to be this disconnect from the major boss to the people, you know, doing that work … I don’t ever want to get in that position where I don’t understand their struggles.”

Waggoner works hard to maintain relationships with the officers and the community, Timmons said.

“I feel like she’s more hands-on … She has more of, I would say, that compassionate side to her where she remembers people’s birthdays,” Timmons said.

Waggoner regularly works 12-hour days and spends a lot of that time talking to people.

“It’s problem solving, but I don’t feel like I’m doing the work,” Waggoner said. “I feel like everybody else is doing the work, and I’m just connecting the dots. The team makes it super easy.”

Waggoner’s only goal in the next year is to strike more of a work-life balance. It will be tough – She loves her job, but wants to spend more time with her family.

“It makes me feel good when I go home at night,” Waggoner said. “It’s hard to say I want to do less of something that makes me feel good.”