FULL Class of SPSC Donated to IACP Foundation Concludes

Course dates were: August 24 - October 30, 2009
 

January 2010

Ten weeks of no-cost training serving thirty-seven command staff officers representing sixteen law enforcement agencies.

Those are just some of the numbers that spring to mind as a result of the recent graduation of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s (NUCPS) 288th School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) that took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the end of October.

In early 2009, NUCPS donated to the IACP Foundation a full course of their 10- week SPSC class to be administered in the Louisiana gulf region.  In the wake of that donation, Foundation staff conducted an open call for registration for the training that, while concentrated in the gulf region, resulted in the recruitment of attendees from as far away as the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

Foundation Chairman and IACP Immediate Past President Chief Russell B. Laine spoke at the October graduation ceremony and observed, “I went through this training myself in the early days of my career as a law enforcement leader and without a doubt, it is some of the most demanding and rewarding instruction I have ever completed”.

The SPSC course is wide-ranging and comprehensive, including such diverse topics as Ethics, Traffic Management, Media Relations, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Budget and Current Topics in Law Enforcement just to name a few.   

“NUCPS is proud to partner with the Foundation on this, and other no-cost training and research initiatives, as a way to give back to the law enforcement community,” noted Richard Johnson, Associate Dean of the School of Continuing Studies at Northwestern University, “Collaborations that bring together academia and law enforcement practitioners benefit everyone in the end.  We get a feel for emerging issues in the field and active command staff officers, hopefully, walk away with some very valuable instruction”.

NUCPS absorbed all costs associated with instructor fees and travel for the program and Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael D. Edmonson worked closely with NUCPS and Foundation staff to arrange for complimentary classroom space at the Louisiana State Police Training Academy for the entire 10-week course.

Following a tradition established for every SPSC course, the students of Class #288 adopted a charitable cause during their program, raising $4,400.00 for Chicago police officer Densey Cole.  Officer Cole was critically injured in a motor vehicle crash while responding to a robbery in progress and, in a horrific twist, was robbed and further injured by a local youth while he was trapped in his police SUV waiting for emergency response.

The IACP Foundation is proud to continue its commitment to moving leaders forward with partnerships that provide professional development opportunities for law enforcement officers and command staff.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The School of Police Staff and Command is an intensive ten-week program that prepares law enforcement managers for senior positions by uniquely combining academic principles with practical applications. Because research is a key component of the SPSC, many times a student’s research project comes directly from a timely and critical issue facing that student’s agency. The knowledge gained can be put to use immediately.

From the time it was launched in 1983, the SPSC has received enthusiastic response from executives and trainers throughout the country. A review of the course curriculum verifies its completeness and appropriateness for organizational and personal development.

WHO ATTENDS
The School of Police Staff and Command is a dynamic ten-week police management program designed for today's progressive police managers and their agencies.

 
COURSE CONTENT

Understanding Management

Management principles
Interpersonal and organizational communication
Transformational leadership
Managing organizational change
Organizational behavior
Law Enforcement Management and its Environment

Police ethics
Police standards and professionalism
Police traffic management and analysis
Legal issues in traffic enforcement
Information resources
Criminal law and procedure update
Managing criminal investigations
Community oriented policing
Managing media relations
Police executive panel
Current issues in law enforcement management
Human Resource Administration

Selection and promotion
Legal aspects of selection and promotion
Performance appraisal
Labor/management relations
Civil liability
Legal aspects of discipline
Improving performance through training
Managing the problem employee
Managing discipline
Skills for Planning and Analysis

Staff research
Problem solving and decision analysis
Project management
Police resource allocation
Police work scheduling
Selection and use of computer systems
Budget preparation and management
Planning and policy development
Staff research paper presentation
STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

The SPSC is a university-based education program intended for mid and upper-level supervisory personnel. It is expected that SPSC students will: 1) Have at least two years of supervisory experience, and
2) Be prepared to complete upper-division (i.e., junior and senior level) university course work.

Upper division university course work presumes that a student has the ability to:

The SPSC is not appropriate for entry-level officers, deputies, or troopers. It is recommended that personnel who have recently been appointed to their first supervisory position attend Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s Supervision of Police Personnel course rather than the SPSC.

To ensure that SPSC students have sufficient time to attend class and complete out-of-class assignments, students should be released from their normal job responsibilities. SPSC students are required to have access to the internet for grade retrieval and communication. Students must be provided with a laptop computer with internet access to aid in their successful completion of the course.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CREDITS

Successful completion of this course will provide 8 units of credit under the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies new quarter system (read more>>) (approximately 21.36 semester credit hours). Northwestern is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. These credits may be transferable or applicable to degree programs at colleges and universities in your area. Check with the academic advisor at the school of your choice.

For more information about the School of Police Staff and Command, please contact Shelly Camden at 800-323-4011 or  s-camden@northwestern.edu.