LEMIT Reaffirms Commitment to Law Enforcement Profession

To help strengthen its mission to serve officers in the Lone Star state, the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) recently reorganized its staff to focus on development programs for executives, leaders, and professionals; research; and finances.

New Chiefs Get Lessons on Leading an Agency

New police chiefs from across Texas recently attended the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) for executive professional development to learn the skills needed to run a successful agency.

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/

FTOs Set Career Course for New Officers

Field training officers play a significant role in the future careers of their apprentices, and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas offers a course to make it the best experience possible for new officers and their trainers.

“The main objective of the course to help field training officers understand the profound significance of their role in training,” said Rick Whitehead, an instructor for the course. “For new officers, it creates permanent attitudes for their careers. Our job as trainers is to help them succeed, not fail.”

The four-day training, which is held annually, is designed to put field training officers and supervisors through the same stresses and pressures facing recruits to change the mindset from one of “critiquers” to one of “facilitators.” The program focuses on training and evaluations techniques, personalities, learning styles, ethics, instruction methods, leadership styles, mentoring, program and policy development, case law trends, and specific documentation requirements.

“FTOs should be teaching to all three styles – seeing, saying and doing,” said Whitehead. “The FTO program should be supported by every level of administration, and practices should be included in the standard operating procedures of the department.”

Documentation is also important to make the training bulletproof. This practice includes documenting the error, explaining the remediation of the error, and ensuring that officers understand the policy, procedure or practice.

The program is open to FTOs and supervisors of field training programs. It is one of several special programs offered annually by LEMIT to convey innovative concepts, techniques, and knowledge that can be implemented quickly by law enforcement agencies. Mr. Whitehead also offers a New Supervisor Field Training Program, now being adopted by agencies across the country. Among the upcoming offerings are:

• Crimes Against the Elderly, April 13
• Crossing the Yellow Line – Serial Killers, May 25
• New Supervisor Course, July 11, 2016

For more information about the FTO or other programs, visit the Special Programs page at LEMIT

Fighting Crimes Against the Elderly

On April 13, the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) will present a special session for professionals in the field on crimes against the elderly.

Senior citizens specifically are targeted by criminals due to age-related issues. This session will focus on an investigative approach to elder abuse, including cases of neglect, physical abuse, financial exploitation, emotion abuse, and others.

According to research, millions of Americans age 65 and older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by a caregiver or someone they trust. Estimates of elder abuse range from 2 to 5 percent of the population over age 65, but only 1 in 14 incidents are brought to the attention of authorities.

Elder Crimes Specialist Ian S. “Buddy” Lovestock delivers a comprehensive investigative approach for first responders and law enforcement through case studies and examples of neglect. He will cover what officers should know; what first responders should do when encountering elder abuse, neglect or financial exploitation in residences or nursing homes; and how to identify warning signs.

Lovestock has 40 years’ experience in law enforcement and is certified by the Florida Attorney General’s Office as an Elder Crimes Specialist. He said elder abuse issues continue to grow because people are living longer and senior citizens represents a larger percentage of the population.

The cost for the program is $75. To register, visit http://www.lemitonline.org/programs/special/ElderAbuseApril2016.pdf For more information, contact Yvette Shorten, Program Assistant, at (936) 294-3851.