Friday, February 19, 2016

Shaping Leaders for 21st Century Policing

The Leadership Command College, the premiere professional leadership program at the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), graduated its 75th class on Feb. 26.

“The things I learned during LCC have been extremely relevant to my role at my organization,” said a participant from a recent class. “I have gained ideas, techniques, and strategies to better become a leader.”

Frequently compared to the FBI National Academy, the nine-week program has graduated 1,684 up-and-coming law enforcement leaders since its inception in 1989. Armed with proven management practiced and sound academic research, those officers have gone on to prominent positions in Texas and across the country. The program is held at three prestigious universities, including Sam Houston State University, Texas Woman’s University, and Texas A & M, and participants can earn college credits toward a degree.

The program is opened to a broad array of law enforcement agencies, including police departments; sheriff and constable offices; school and college police; state alcohol beverage control officers; district attorney offices; and the State Attorney General’s Office. The program also has hosted a few international participants, including representatives from Korea and Germany.

“By the time one of these graduates crosses the stage, the state of Texas has invested $15,000 to $18,000 in them,” said Dara Glotzbach, the LCC Program Coordinator at LEMIT.

The program is divided into three, 15-day modules, which are hosted by different college campuses. Module I, located at the Center for Executive Development at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University in College Station, emphasizes leadership and general management principles.

Module II takes place in the Department of History and Government at Texas Woman's University (TWU) in Denton and concentrates on the political, legal, and social environments of contemporary law enforcement. Special attention is given to the enhancement of executive wellness.

Finally, Module III is held at LEMIT at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and focuses on law enforcement administration. Here, the program culminates with a defense of their white paper on issues important to law enforcement agencies. They graduate with the state-designation of LCC, 486 Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) hours, as well as six credits toward a master’s degree or nine hours toward a bachelor’s degree at SHSU.

A fourth module was recently added to provide continuing education to LCC graduates. The weeklong, fee-based event covers current topics in law enforcement, and the curriculum changes every two years. This year’s topics include managing for organization integrity, managing generations in public safety, and providing Alzheimer’s awareness among law enforcement officers.

“There were several things after each Module that I went back to my Department and employed,” said another participant.

For more information on LCC, contact Dara Glotzbach at (936) 294-4807 or visit Leadership Command College.