SA Laura Kensington

Biography:

SA Kensington graduated from East Carolina University in 2005 as a Distinguished Military Graduate in the Army ROTC program and Valedictorian of the College of Human Ecology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation from ECU in 2005, SA Kensington received her commission in the US Army as a 2^nd Lieutenant. Her first assignment was an Army ROTC Recruiter assigned to ECU. After completion of her intelligence school, she became a certified All-Source Intelligence Officer specializing in Counter and Human Intelligence. During her deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, she was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for her work on the POW/MIA mission. During the five years in the military, SA Kensington was a Battalion S2 for Apache helicopter pilots, an Unmanned Aerial Systems Platoon Leader and G2X Human Analysis and Requirements Cell Officer in Charge (managing counter and human intelligence information and response). SA Kensington left the U.S. Army with the rank of Captain due to her wish to become a law enforcement officer.

In January of 2011, SA Kensington was hired by the Jacksonville Police Department in Jacksonville, NC. SA Kensington held positions as a patrol officer and special victims unit detective. In August of 2015, SA Kensington obtained her Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke focusing on Human Resource Administration and Management. Her thesis focused on body worn cameras in policing and law enforcement officers’ perception of the technology. Also while on patrol at JPD, SA Kensington received the lifesaving award.

SA Kensington was hired by the NCSBI in 2016 as a crime scene agent. While working crime scenes, SA Kensington also worked collateral duties as a BeTA Agent, Cold Case Agent, Criminal and Drug Agent. SA Kensington’s last assignment was the resident Drug Agent in Onslow County, NC working alongside the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) on federal and state drug cases. She currently works out of the Coastal District of the NCSBI as a Criminal Agent.

SA Kensington holds the following certifications and training: NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards General Instructor, Certified Child Forensic Interviewer in the RADAR protocol, NC Justice Academy Criminal Investigation Certificate Program graduate, NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, NCSBI Certified Undercover Agent, Graduate of the National Forensic Academy and completion of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) Trilogy Leadership Program.

She is a newly elected Secretary of the North Carolina Law Enforcement Women’s Association, is a member of the NCSBI’s Diversity Recruitment Committee and the NCSBI’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. She also chairs a working group quarterly with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. SA Kensington has been the guest speaker at Mount Olive College, Livingstone College and NC Central University alongside the FBI, ATF and local law enforcement agencies. Lastly, SA Kensington has received letters of commendation from the Craven County Board of Commissioners for her work in an Officer-Involved Shooting, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck for a school public relations event and District Attorney Ernie Lee for a 2^nd degree murder case.