Great Bend native William Teater, who played a crucial role in the FBI investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, will return Tuesday to speak to law enforcement professionals and safety-conscious community members.

Teater, will deliver a lecture on crisis management and major case investigation management as part of the Barton Community College Lee Turner Lectureship Series. This year’s program will be in two segments — an all-day class for law-enforcement officers, followed by an evening event that is open to the public.

Teater’s interest in law enforcement started at only 14 years old, when he was a part of the newly created police cadet program at the Great Bend Police Department. Cadets were given uniforms and permission to ride with officers.

"It became something I was interested in because we were helping people," he said. "Lots of calls were providing assistance to citizens, not just writing tickets and throwing people in jail. We were assisting the public."

He followed up on his interest by working as a clerk at FBI headquarters in Washington DC and earning an associate’s degree in criminal justice from BCC as one of the college’s and program’s first graduates.

He went on to gain more education and experience throughout a career that spanned almost four decades, but he still considers his time at BCC to be crucial to his success.

"When we studied criminal cases, we looked at the cases as not only a police officer, but as a prosecutor, judge and defense attorney," he said. "That was the most important education I received as far as law enforcement. It was probably more important than what I received in upper-division (education). It paid off for all 40 years."

The first segment is a lecture for law-enforcement officers, Emergency Management Services personnel, firefighters and other first responders. The class counts as 7.5 hours of continuing education. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and the lecture continues from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Fine Arts Auditorium at Barton Community College. The cost to attend the day session is $49, which includes lunch, refreshments and materials.

Topics include managing major cases, crisis management and an overview of the Oklahoma City bombing investigation.

The second segment of Teater’s visit to BCC will be free and open to the public. The event is set to last from 7-9 p.m. at The Front Door, 1615 10th St. in Great Bend. Seating is limited, so contact Krystall Barnes at barnesk@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9332.

Teater will discuss his experiences with the Great Bend Police Department, with the FBI in relation to the Oklahoma City bombing and his thoughts and insights regarding local community involvement in any major crisis that may arise. Freewill donations will be accepted and used to fund the purchase of Laser Shot equipment for the BCC criminal justice program.