(Fourth from left) Capt. Nathan McDaniel and other officers participate in a field practicum at the body farm at University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

A detective with the Murfreesboro Police Department graduated Friday from the National Forensic Academy, a program that trains law enforcement officials how to better investigate crime scenes.

“The Murfreesboro Police Department congratulates Detective Capt. Nathan McDaniel on the successful completion of the National Forensic Academy on Friday,” said Kyle Evans, public information officer for the Police Department, in a press release Wednesday.

The program is designed to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies in evidence identification, collection and preservation.

During the 10-week program, McDaniel participated in classroom instruction, laboratory activities, and field practicums in courses designed to improve a crime scene investigator’s ability to process and recover evidence, according to the press release.

McDaniel participated in over 400 hours of training on related topics, including bloodstain pattern analysis, footwear and tire impressions, forensic fire investigation, trace evidence recovery, and wound pattern interpretation. He also studied forensic anthropology, entomology, odontology and osteology.

The National Forensic Academy is an intensive training program, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice.