The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 5 | Página 11

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | May 2017
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Leadership Staff Rides: Following extensive research, he determined that the introduction of military-
style leadership “staff rides” would be both popular and useful, and, accordingly, in 2004 he reached out to
the Gettysburg National Military Park to seek their assistance. Later that year, we debuted our “Gettysburg Staff
Ride for Law Enforcement Leaders.” This was followed in 2005 for the first edition of our “Antietam Staff Ride for
Law Enforcement Leaders.” In each year thereafter we have conducted similar "living classroom” courses in
either location, while occasionally substituting other important sites, such as the national military parks in
Manassas and Fredericksburg, VA, as well as Arlington National Cemetery. This year we will be adding the National
Marine Corps Museum to the Battle of Fredericksburg Staff Ride. The Antietam Staff Ride for Law Enforcement
Leaders was awarded the “Positive Impact Award” by the New Jersey Society of Association Executives in 2005.
While the response to these programs was (and remains) outstanding, it became clear that there was a desire for a
more local and less time intensive version of this style of programming. Accordingly, in 2008 we introduced 1-day
Staff Rides, focusing upon the leaders and events of the American War of Independence, and utilizing the many
sites and locations in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York areas connected to that war. We rotate these
programs between Washington’s Crossing & the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, the Battle of Monmouth
Courthouse, the Battle of Brandywine, and Valley Forge and the Battle of Paoli.
New Police Chiefs Orientation: For many years , the NJ Divis ion of Criminal Justice organized and
administered the annual New Police Chiefs Orientation.
There was a significant amount of frustration
expressed over the nature and quality of the course; in 2007 the Association was approached about possibly taking
over responsibility for conducting the program. M i t c h immediately accepted, and the newly revamped and
revised New Police Chiefs Orientation course, designed and conducted by the NJSACOP, made its debut in 2008.
We continue to revise and refine this course on an annual basis.
Front Line Supervision: For many years the Association offered a course entitled “Contemporary
Supervision Techniques,” designed for new supervisory personnel. Based upon both formal and informal feedback,
it became apparent that a new offering needed to be designed and implemented if we were to continue in this line
of instruction. An RFP was developed and disseminated. As a result, we selected the Center for Public Safety
and Security at Stockton University as the provider for this course, banded as a NJSACOP program. To date, it has
been highly successful and well regarded.
Senior Leader Seminars at the British College of Policing: In 2001, the NJSACOP pioneered jointly
conducted executive professional development programming by partnering with Wroxton College of Fairleigh
Dickinson University for a leadership seminar at the Wroxton campus in Great Britain. In the interim, Mitch made
connections with official police institutions in the United Kingdom, and in 2013 we returned to Wroxton, this time
receiving inputs from British police leaders and institutions. The following year (2014), we instituted our initial
formal, jointly-sponsored course with the British College of Policing. Subsequently we have offered
annual courses in conjunction with the institution. The courses have been located various location, including at the
College’s headquarters, the home of the Scottish Police College, and, in July 2017, we will be hosted by the
Greater Manchester Police. In addition to classroom-based modules, these courses include site visits to police
and government installations, training facilities, and the use of the interactive HYDRA exercise suite.
Police Chiefs Leadership Retreat: Beginning in 2001 the Association presented 1-day seminars for large
audiences on topics of interest to NJ police leaders, featuring speakers such as Gordon Graham, Col. Dave
Grossman, and Jack Enter. We have expanded on this concept and transitioned this program, initially entitled
Police Chief In-Service Seminar, into the day and a half “retreat” style program, which features similar speakers,
but also includes additional presentations, and stretches to the following morning for an additional session. The
evening lends itself to networking and interaction among the attending delegates.
“D-Day” & “Battle of the Bulge” Experiential Learning Experiences: Building upon the popularity, success,
and prestige of the Senior Leadership Courses in Great Britain, as well as the model we use for our Staff Rides, in
2015 we developed and introduced an internationally based experiential leadership development program, the
“D-Day/Normandy Leadership Experience.” This program took attendees to the sites associated with events,
leaders, and decisions leading up to and involving the invasion of Normandy in WWII. Locations have included
Normandy, France and Portsmouth, England. The success of the initial program led to a repeat in 2016. In 2017
a different iteration of the program was introduced, using the multiple leadership lessons to be learned from the
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