NCJ Number
188616
Journal
Trooper Dated: Spring 2001 Pages: 49-52,55,56
Date Published
2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article identifies the benefits that can come from establishing a police command college in Maryland, outlines the requirements of a successful program, and profiles several existing programs throughout the country.
Abstract
The police training commissions in many States have adopted command colleges because of their training value. The primary purpose of the command college is leadership development, which in the last decade has become one of the most important aspects of human resource management. Within the field of human resource management, there is a new emphasis on helping the organization gain a competitive advantage by providing services its customers value. This applies to law enforcement as well. Employee development is the single most important reason to implement a command college. The command college provides the opportunity for law enforcement employees to improve their career status, income, and educational level. The command college offers an executive development program that trains executives to manage department's in the face of contemporary challenges confronting police agencies. An examination of 24 police command colleges, most of which are in the United States, found several common characteristics in the successful programs. They are closely associated with a reputable academic institution, are accessible to all law enforcement executives within the geographic area served, are funded by Federal "seed" money, and offer similar core courses. The command colleges profiled in this article are the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute, and the California Command College.