Senior Police Leadership Principles

Successful leaders in the highest ranks of today’s police services require a unique set of skills: strategic vision and planning, political prowess, team building and motivation, media expertise, budgeting, and an understanding of complex community needs. These types of skills and training cannot be attained through career assignments alone – today’s police leaders need a new senior police leadership curriculum.

Unlike other leadership programs, this certificate is designed specifically to train and provide police leaders with the wide range of competencies needed to excel within senior positions in the policing environment.

Graduates of the program will possess an understanding of the complex accountability, legal, and governance frameworks of police services and police services boards. Graduates will demonstrate competency development in leadership, decision-making, program design considering equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) issues, and relationship building with Indigenous communities.

Trent University Durham GTA offers online training for the police service for those aspiring for promotion or leadership.

This is available to active police officers with the rank of sergeant or higher, or active supervisors / executives within the police service. 

The program consists of seven self-contained modules, each lasting a week, covering leadership skills, decision-making principles, governance, policing operations, human resources, and labor relations.

How To Register

Registration can be completed through the micro-credential portal. Approximately 2-3 business days after the registration form has been submitted, you will receive an email confirming your registration and next steps. 

Students are not eligible to use any transfer credits towards this certificate from any previously completed post-secondary courses. Transcripts are not required.

Program Fees 

The fee for the micro-credential is $750, and there are no additional fees for textbooks or materials as all of the readings and module content is available online.

Now Available! For every subsequent registration from the same department, police leaders will be eligible for 25% off their course fee.

For any questions on applying, please contact microcredential@trentu.ca.

REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING PROGRAM

The Senior Police Leadership Program Details

The program consists of the seven modules.  Each module is designed around a mix of lectures, case studies, and seminar discussions to ensure that every opportunity is utilized to learn from the experiences of academics, senior practitioners and learners alike, using best practices for meaningful professional learning. 

All modules are mandatory to complete the program and each module is self-contained.  The online program is flexible, and each module has two 3-hour online sessions and the entire program is completed in 7 weeks.  

The program modules:

• Leadership Skills Module
• Applied and Informed Decision-Making Principles Module
• Governance and Civilian Oversight Module
• Policing Operations Module
• First Nation Policing
• Human Resources and Labour Relations within Police Services
• Chief Panel Discussion

Admission Requirements 

To be eligible for this program, candidates must satisfy one of the following: 

• An active police officer with the rank of sergeant, or who has been successful in the promotion process and is awaiting promotion (a member of a lower rank may apply but must provide evidence of progressive leadership responsibility);
• An active civilian supervisor of a police service;
• An active member of the executive or a supervisory staff member of a police association (a supervisory staff member must be endorsed in writing by a representative of the executive of the police association); or
• A member of a police services board or supervisory staff member on the staff of a police services board. 

Transcripts are not required. 

REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING PROGRAM

Program Schedule 

• September 30 and  October 2 - Leadership Skills
• October 7 and October 9  - Applied and Informed Decision-making Principles
• October 14 and October 16 - Human Resources and Labour Relations within Police Services
• October 21 and October 23  - Governance and Civilian Oversight
• October 28 and October 30 – Policing Operations
• November 4 - First Nations Policing
• November 6 – Chief Panel Discussion 

Leadership Skills Module

Police-service leaders will gain the practical skills and knowledge needed to provide effective leadership for their organizations while providing a positive influence in their respective communities.

The module is designed around three main themes: the role of the leader, modeling the way, and communicating to persuade and influence, both inside and outside the police service.  

Applied and Informed Decision-Making Principles Module

This module will offer the learner perspectives, principles, and tools required to make analytical and informed decisions in a policing environment. Drawing on fundamental insights from economics and statistics, this module will combine theory with application and case studies. 

Learners are expected to offer examples from their experiences of where the topics being covered could have been used in the past and how they could be used in the future. This module will combine lectures with in-class workshops and assignments. A tablet or computer with Microsoft Excel is required.

Human Resource Module  

By following the life cycle of a police member, critical topics such as employee engagement, performance management, succession planning and equity, and diversity and inclusion will be discussed.

Employee wellness will be discussed, and students will understand how to reduce employee absence and occupational illness using wellness strategies.

Participants will gain a clear understanding of human-rights law, employment law and collective agreement interpretation necessary to avoid expensive, unnecessary, and divisive litigation. Leadership that focuses on members remaining engaged and productive throughout a long career will be the focus of this module.

Governance and Civilian Oversight Module

Through readings, lectures, discussions and a case study, this module will give learners a deeper understanding of the legislative requirements on police agencies and leaders. They will develop a thorough understanding of the roles, responsibilities, relationships, and processes among police services (and their leaders) and the authorities and agencies that oversee them.

Among the topics are police services boards, the Ministries of the Solicitor and Attorney General and their divisions, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), and the Community Safety and Policing Act. 

Policing Operations Module

This module is focused on providing police-service leaders with the practical skills and knowledge needed to plan and execute operations in support of police-service activities.

This module will analyze the rationale for and legal framework within which police services conduct operations and will analyze the unique operating environment within which police services plan and execute operations. The Incident Response and Community Safety and Well-Being frameworks will also be reviewed.

This module will also examine the enabling functions and resources available to police services to facilitate police operations.