Alabama police officers interested in advancing in their careers will soon have access to a program specifically designed to help them become command staff. The new Southeastern Leadership Command College in development at Jacksonville State University will train law enforcement professionals to lead departments and agencies.
Housed within the JSU Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement, Command College will be open to any Alabama police officer who holds the rank of sergeant or above, providing professional development to senior leaders – such as police chiefs and sheriffs – while grooming those at the sergeant and lieutenant levels for leadership roles.
“Expanding on our extensive training opportunities, Command College will specifically address the needs of law enforcement personnel currently in leadership positions or who may be moving into leadership positions,” said Kaleb Littlejohn, director of the Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement.
While plans to establish Command College have been in development for a few years, Littlejohn said the timeline was accelerated after a delegation from the university visited the Law Enforcement Institute of Texas (LEMIT) at Sam Houston State University last fall.
“The LEMIT institute is the model program in the country for providing advanced training opportunities to law enforcement leaders,” Littlejohn said. “Meeting with LEMIT encouraged us to design a program to help officers gain the skills and resources needed to better lead a department or unit within a department.”
JSU’s program curriculum will center on general management and leadership principles, including public policy, laws and regulations, the social environment of police management and law enforcement administration. Course credit may be available in the future for those who plan to pursue advanced degrees, pending approval from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Command College is expected to begin enrolling students in January 2024. The program will be free for sworn law enforcement officers in Alabama, while those located outside the state may apply but will incur a small fee to cover meals and lodging. For more information, contact the Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement at CBPLE@jsu.edu.
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