It is not enough for law enforcement organizations to maintain service delivery—they must continually adapt to the needs of the community and evolve to incorporate the most promising practices available. Few agencies have sufficient means to accomplish this using only internal resources, and those that can still have a need to connect with stakeholders in the law enforcement profession to validate their practices. To help agencies meet this challenge, the IACP offers a host of professional services.
The IACP is committed to advancing the law enforcement profession. Professional services are among the key resources utilized to accomplish this mission. These services include management studies, promotional testing, executive searches, and research. Each of these draws on our membership and extensive network of law enforcement professionals. The IACP’s ability to pull from the experience of practitioners, academics, and associated professionals ensures that professional services are reflective of most promising practices and proportionate with each recipient’s needs.
Management Studies
Instituting progressive change within organizations requires leaders to have vision and commitment. A map to prioritize and guide these changes supports leaders’ efforts and significantly influences the degree to which they will succeed. An IACP management study is an independent assessment of key management and operational aspects of a law enforcement agency. Components can be grouped for a limited or comprehensive assessment based on the needs of the agency. These include, but are not limited to, factors such as staffing allocation, technology utilization, beat alignment, evidence and property management, facilities and space utilization, and review of performance indicators.
Recent management study report recipients include Little Rock, Arkansas, Police Department; Alexandria, Virginia, Police Department; and Cobb County, Georgia, Police Department.
Promotional Testing
A sound methodology to assess qualified candidates for promotion within law enforcement organizations is vital to ensuring the integrity of the process and informing promotional decisions. The IACP provides promotional examinations and assessment centers to support law enforcement organizations with this process. These services are augmented with customized study guides, candidate orientation and feedback, and administration of the testing process.
Promotional exams utilize a job analysis survey to select questions from an IACP question bank that are appropriate for the specific rank and organization. This is a cost-effective process regardless of the size of candidate pools. Specific questions can be created to complement existing questions or to create an entirely custom exam. Recent promotional exam users include Aventura, Florida, Police Department; Toms River, New Jersey, Police Department; and St. Mary’s County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office.
Assessment centers incorporate simulated challenges of the target position. The IACP completes an on-site job analysis to develop exercises for individual and group simulations to evaluate overall performance potential. Assessors are trained in objective evaluation and scoring. The IACP administers the assessment center and provides a report summarizing its development and the performance of each candidate. Recent assessment center users include Sugar Land, Texas, Police Department; Rutgers University, New Jersey, Police Department; and Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office.
Executive Searches
The role of law enforcement executives requires those in these positions to have a balance of technical skills and an understanding of the needs of the community. The IACP executive search utilizes a comprehensive candidate profile and job analysis; extensive recruitment advertising; and an applicant screening, evaluation, and selection process to ensure candidates are both qualified and representative of the target community’s values. A collaborative model integrating the desired qualifications will define education and experience requirements as well as management and leadership styles. A community profile will accompany the resulting vacancy announcement and be distributed across the IACP network of members and law enforcement practitioners.
Recent executive search users include St. Louis, Missouri, Police Department; Alexandria, Virginia, Police Department; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Research
Rigorous academic research validates theories and informs policy. The IACP Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy ensure that the policies and practices associated with our professional services are anchored in research. They facilitate partnerships between academic researchers and law enforcement organizations and complete research on emerging law enforcement topics.
Recent research topics include gang violence reduction strategies, implicit bias training, use of force, de-escalation training, violence against the police, and pre-arrest diversion programs.
Contributing to Your Success
IACP professional services are well suited to assess, validate, and improve law enforcement operations as well as to identify, prepare, and engage rising leaders within the profession. We stand ready to meet your needs with management studies, promotional testing, executive searches, and research. Equally, we are committed to continually expanding our base of practitioners and subject matter experts. Participation in these services is an outstanding way to contribute to the law enforcement profession, and participants develop a richer understanding of proven practices by adapting them to similar applications.
For more information about IACP professional services or to express your interest in contributing to these services, please contact Carl Maupin, Assistant Director, Education, at professionalservices@theIACP.org. ♦
Please cite as
Carl Maupin, “Professional Services to Advance Law Enforcement,” IACP Working For You, The Police Chief 85, no. 4 (April 2018): 102.
