Executive Development Programs

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS –

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

By Herbert Blake

While the FBI National Academy, Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officer Course, and the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University continue to be among the most recognized programs offered, there has been remarkable growth in the number of other executive development programs available. Here are some, in no particular order, which can give law enforcement professionals exposure to new ideas and skills while demonstrating their commitments to lifelong learning.

Texas

The Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Plano, Texas, offers an eight week Management College. I attended the 35th Management College; it was a valuable learning experience for me. Ideas garnered from it have been instrumental in my success as a police chief and as a division commander. Participants of the management college have the option of acquiring college credits from the University of North Texas. The institute also offers the four week School of Police Supervision, a unique, monthlong program aimed at first line supervisors and middle managers.

North Carolina

North Carolina State University offers the 12 week Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP) several times a year. According to their Web site, participants in the AOMP enroll in academic courses which total 15 credit hours, identical to those earned by other students at North Carolina State University. NCSU also offers the Law Enforcement Executive Program (LEEP), an annual program where participants meet several times in Raleigh over a six month period. LEEP offers continuing education credits to its participants.

Kentucky

The Southern Police Institute offers the Command Officers Development Course (CODC). This is a portable program, designed to accommodate officers who might not be able to attend the 12 week Administrative Officers Course. This course has been brought to several locations over the past few years and is offered over a five month period, using a two week a month format.

Tennessee

The University of Tennessee has offered the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy (SECLA) over the past few years. According to their Web site, this is a seven week leadership and management program designed for progressive and innovative police managers. There are seven weeklong training sessions required to complete the course. Sessions are held July through January. Graduate and undergraduate credits are also available to those who attend this program.

Massachusetts, Illinois

A couple of the leading shorter courses include The Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police. This course is three weeks long. It has been offered in two different sessions during the summer at Harvard University. The Executive Management Program of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety is another highly popular three week executive development program. According to their Web site, it is a portable program which has been offered in various locations over the years.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State University offers the Police Executive Development (POLEX) program. Penn State offers both a Basic and an Advanced POLEX program. Each is two weeks in duration and offers the option of undergraduate or graduate credits for additional coursework completed after each course.

Several other programs exist which are designed for participants in specific regions with formats which might make it a challenge for officers who reside outside of those regions to attend. The Georgia Chiefs of Police Command College at Columbus State University, the Leadership Command College at the Law Enforcement Management Institute at Sam Houston State University in Texas, and the Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) offered by the Executive Institute of the Law Enforcement Foundation are a few examples.

Additional Programs

Other programs which might be of interest include the two week Executive Management Series at Roger Williams University; the three week Police Executive and Administrative Leadership School (PEALS) at the North Coast Polytechnic Institute in Grafton, Ohio; or the two week Law Enforcement Manager Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. The Gallagher-Westfall Group of Virginia and Indiana offer the one week Mastering Leadership and Management Course. And, finally, the Executive Leadership Academy, a six day program designed for sheriffs, police chiefs, assistant police chiefs, chief deputies, bureau commanders, captains and lieutenants, is offered primarily in the northwestern part of the country by The Results Group Ltd., a professional management and consulting firm out of Hood River, Oregon.

Summary

No one executive development course, regardless of the length, will result in the ideal leader, but this much is true: It has become the norm for entities seeking to fill executive level positions to suggest that the “ideal candidate” will have attended one. These are some of the increasing, excellent learning opportunities law enforcement professionals have to consider.n

About the Author: Herbert Blake is chief of the Loris, SC, Police Department. He has a master’s degree in business management and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration. He is adjunct faculty for business administration at several area colleges. He can be reached via E-mail at five0@sccoast.net.

For More Information:

1. The Management College at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration can be found at www.theilea.org/ilea/calendar.html.

2. The Administrative Officers Management Program and LEEP at North Carolina State University can found at http://www2.chass.ncsu.edu/aomp/leep.html.

3. The Command Officers Development Course at the University of Louisville can be found at www.louisville.edu/a-s/ja/spi/CECODC.html.

4. The Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy can be found at www.leic.tennessee.edu/secla.htm.

5. The School of Police Staff and Command and the Executive Management Program at Northwestern University can be found at http://server.traffic.northwestern.edu/division/mt.asp.

6. The Basic POLEX and Advanced POLEX courses at Penn State can be found at www.outreach.psu.edu/AOJ/.

7. The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) can be found at www.lef-oh.org/pelc/pelc.html.

8. The Command Training Program at Roger Williams University can be found at www.rwu.edu/Academics/Academic+Programs/School+of+Justice+Studies/JSTRI/.

9. The PEALS Program at the North Coast Polytechnic Institute can be found at www.ncpi-ohio.com/index.htm.

10. The Law Enforcement Manager Training Program at FLETC in Glynco, GA, can be found at www.fletc.gov/fmi/LEMTP.htm.

11. The Executive Academy at The Results Group, Ltd. can be found at www.theresultsgroupltd.com/.