Four Rutherford County supervisors received intense instruction about management and leadership during the Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command sponsored by Murfreesboro Police Department.
School Resource Officer Lt. Brad Harrison, Patrol Lt. Britt Reed, Warrants Lt. Ty Downing and Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin were among 25 graduates from the 10-week school where they took 22 exams and completed projects. They earned college credit.
Courses included introduction to management, interpersonal organization and communication, leadership, organizational behavior, ethics in police management, traffic enforcement and budget and planning.
Sheriff Robert Arnold said the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command is an excellent course.
“We are creating leaders for future officers and the community,” Sheriff Arnold said. “It’s a great asset we have accomplished in building leaders. We are developing a strong sheriff’s office.”
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office was the only sheriff’s office who had students enrolled in the class.
Lt. Harrison said the course consisted of an intensive 10-week program.
“It prepared us as managers to handle a variety of issues,” Harrison said. “They included management principles, labor/management relations, improving performance through training, budget preparation and decision analysis. All are issues we deal with frequently and the instruction offered will benefit us significantly. I am very honored and appreciative to the sheriff that I was selected to attend the Staff and Command School.”
Lt. Reed said he was fortunate to attend the school because of its reputation in management, leadership and education that covered current issues within the sheriff’s office.
“The class helps with leadership skills and focuses on mid-level managers who help upper level managers assist in the budget process,” Lt. Reed said. “The course taught effective supervision and understanding the management process.”
Class members included students from Alaska and Minnesota, broadening the contact base for sheriff’s supervisors.
Lt. Downing said the training he received at Northwestern “gave me a better understanding of the challenges facing our leaders and has given me valuable management skills that I will use as I grow with the RCSO.”
Sgt. Goodwin said Northwestern’s police staff and command school is recognized as the most academically recognized law enforcement management training in the U.S. It was an honor to attend.
“Learning the proper way to research, write and produce staff studies addressing specific management issues was invaluable as were numerous classes on policy development, budget and personnel issues, leadership, discipline and other issues,” Goodwin said.
Besides the academics, all but 25 class members came from Middle Tennessee so officers forged relationships with other agencies in the state.
“That network of connections will help our agency operate more effectively and efficiently with other regional jurisdictions,” Goodwin said. “And if a case leads to Alaska or Minnesota, our classmates from those states will be invaluable points of contact to help us work while there.”
