Lead the Line: Performance Driven Leadership for First-Line Supervisors
Course Cost: $595.00 (regularly $695.00)
Duration: 4 days (0830-1630 daily); optional 5th day available for extended certification
Certification: POST Certified in Connecticut, Idaho, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (MPOETC), and New Mexico
Course Overview
Transitioning to a supervisory role represents one of the most significant milestones in a law enforcement career. This comprehensive four-day program, formerly known as Command 1: Developing First-Line Supervisors, equips newly promoted supervisors, corporals, officers-in-charge, sergeants, and emerging leaders with the practical skills and strategic mindset required to excel in first-line leadership positions. Rather than offering theoretical frameworks alone, this course emphasizes real-world application of essential competencies needed to lead effectively in modern policing environments.
Learning Objectives
Participants will develop competency in the following areas:
- Modern leadership strategies tailored for first-line supervisors
- Real-world documentation, counseling, and accountability systems
- Effective communication techniques for building high-performance teams
- Field-based decision-making, critical thinking, and officer development
- Mentoring, expectation-setting, and culture-shaping practices
- Managing conflict, morale, and contemporary community expectations
Detailed Curriculum
Day 1: Communication & Foundational Supervision
Fundamentals of the communication process, positional development cycles, recognizing and mitigating supervisory bias, generational awareness, written communication standards, feedback mechanisms, sub-group communication, meeting management, media interaction, supervisory perspective shifts, working effectively with command staff, baseline discipline-setting, proactive team monitoring, employee counseling for minor issues, progressive discipline frameworks, and documentation practices.
Day 2: Personnel & Operational Management
Practical approaches to common workplace issues including attendance and conduct problems, citizen complaint procedures, managing underperforming employees, response to serious personnel matters, early warning system implementation, roll call direction and training, report quality assurance, supervisory responsibilities during use of force incidents and pursuits, and civilian management.
Day 3: Critical Incidents & Emergency Response
Incident command fundamentals, crime scene management and special considerations, supervisor responsibilities during calls involving individuals with autism or emotional disturbances, large gathering and civil unrest protocols, officer-involved shooting response procedures, critical incident stress management, after-action review processes, and employee wellness programs.
Day 4: Advanced Supervisory Topics
Budget and purchasing oversight, identification and development of future leaders, motivation and team morale strategies, personnel evaluation and performance review processes, digital evidence management including body camera and in-car video analysis, vehicle crash investigations, work-related injury investigations, employee due process protections under law enforcement officer bills of rights and relevant case law, community stakeholder relationship building, and professional development planning.
Day 5 (Optional): Practical Application & Scenarios
Hands-on practice scenarios and open discussion forums addressing current law enforcement leadership challenges.
Upcoming Course Dates & Locations
- September 14-17, 2026 – Kean University, Skyland Campus, Oak Ridge, NJ
- September 28-October 1, 2026 – Voorhees Police Department, Voorhees, NJ
- September 28-October 1, 2026 – Chubbuck, ID
- October 6-9, 2026 – Southington Police Department, Southington, CT
- January 25-28, 2027 – Garfield Police Department, Garfield, NJ
- April 12-16, 2027 – Passaic County Police Academy, Wayne, NJ
Provider: J. Harris Academy of Police Training, 40 Bey Lea Road (C-204), Toms River, NJ 08753 | (844) 685-7737 | (312) 798-9954