Pathways to Leadership
Each year, students enrolled in the Wisconsin Command College complete a group project to give back to the State of Wisconsin and the greater law enforcement community. In 2022, Command College Class #8 focused their efforts in developing a platform that identifies various pathways to leadership for law enforcement professionals throughout the state. The goal of this project is to help develop and prepare future law enforcement leaders by offering them information and options for continuing education.
The leadership programs highlighted below were selected, in part, based on information received following a survey distributed to the chief executive of each police department and sheriff's office in the State of Wisconsin. The survey asked these leaders to assess the various leadership training opportunities available and make recommendations for aspiring leaders to continue their professional education. There are approximately 13,600 certified LE officers in Wisconsin that make up the nearly 600 various agencies. Of the responding agencies, the largest agency consisted of eighty-nine law enforcement officers and the smallest had one.
Survey Findings
It is no surprise that 100% of the respondents to the survey view leadership as important, with the vast majority expressing it is of very high importance. With the number of challenges facing law enforcement today, we need to ensure we are equipping our officers with all necessary tools to make them successful.
IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
"Police officers are leaders in the community from the day they begin employment. We have extraordinary expectations of them, and it doesn’t really matter their tenure or rank. Leadership training should be incorporated into every level of every law enforcement agency. We need to help all sworn law enforcement officers see the 'big picture' and think from a strategic level"
- Chief Dan Bell, Village of Lannon Police Department