This year’s crop of new police chiefs run the gamut from small to mid-sized agencies, representing local police departments, campus and school district police, state agencies, city marshals and utility district police. A total of 50 top law enforcement executives participated in the New Chief Development Program on Feb. 29-March 4. The program is offered by LEMIT three times a year.
“The theme for the week is ‘Fostering Nobility and Legitimacy in Policing’ and LEMIT is proud of its 25 year history of supporting police leaders throughout Texas, the region, and country, ” said Program Coordinator Donna Garcia.
The five-day course covers a broad array of topics, such as race-related issues, property and evidence room management, political survival, media relations, effective policies and procedures, budget development and management, the role of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, employee relations, and liability and credibility in the department. The weeklong classes are taught by fellow chiefs, subject matter experts, and attorneys.
In addition to covering critical skills, the 40-hour sessions provide opportunities to network with other chiefs from around the state to share experiences and resources. The sessions are designed to enable chiefs to avoid pitfalls, perform more effectively, and better manage departmental resources.
The new chiefs program is the first of three programs available at LEMIT as part of the state-mandated, biennial training for Texas police chiefs. LEMIT also offers the Texas Police Chief Leadership Training, designed for smaller agencies, and the Texas Major Cities Police Chief Leadership Series, targeting the 30 largest departments in the state. The Texas Police Chief Leadership Series covers such topics as dealing with difficult employees, officer fitness, legal updates, emerging technologies, procedural justice, and “Blue Courage.” The Major Cities program, designed for the top 30 departments in the state, focuses on issues and strategies in the largest cities in the state, such as agency policies and program development.
For more information on programs designed for chiefs, contact Donna Garcia at (936) 294-3852 or Mikal Greer at (936) 294-3756 or Ian Bracewell at (936) 294-4995 or visit http://www.lemitonline.org/programs/tpc/
