Unique Trent University Certificate Helps Police Leaders Evolve With the Times
These days, more than three-quarters of the calls answered by police do not involve crime, but often involve other problems that were, until recent years, considered to be outside of the police mandate.
Police services have met this challenge, evolving from primarily law-enforcement agencies to the integral elements of a community safety and wellness network.
This means, of course, that police leaders must also evolve. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is one of many agencies that recognize that more must be done to prepare leaders, both police officers and their civilian colleagues, to excel in our complex world.
We believe that enhanced, focused education options, including post-secondary programs designed for prospective police leaders, will help to create police executives who are truly ready for the demands and requirements of leadership — and of command.
This year, Trent University is launching its innovative postgraduate certificate in senior police leadership at its Durham campus. This program was created by a team of academics from a broad range of disciplines working alongside senior police leaders, both active and retired.
Together, this powerful team has created a program that combines the theory and practice of leadership, policing operations, human resources, the governance and oversight of police agencies and decision-making in complex environments.
The program will be open to police officers and their civilian colleagues in supervisory or senior positions who have the support of their organizations.
It is competitively priced and scheduled to fit easily into a full-time work schedule. The curriculum will round out the experience that tomorrow’s leaders gain on the job, giving them a deep understanding of the complex accountability, legal and governance frameworks they will need to be effective as modern police leaders.
As retired police chiefs with decades of experience, we are excited that Trent is offering this certificate program.
Supervisors and managers in police services who are hoping to progress in their careers should seriously consider continuing their education through this certificate — not just for themselves, but also for their communities.
— Murray Rodd is a retired Peterborough Police Service chief
— Armand La Barge is a retired York Regional Police chief
Posted on April 12, 2019