We are constantly sending our supervisors to outside training as often as possible. Most of our supervisors have attended Babson College's Command Training School. Others have attended the FBI National Academy, the Police Leadership Program at the University of Lowell, as well as various training seminars covering many topics. We have pushed decision making down the chain of command to the lowest supervisory level possible. In order to do this effectively we have held officers accountable.
Accountability is insured through follow-up, feedback and consistent report review.
Our supervisors attend various community functions and activities that occur in many parts of Brookline. Future efforts in the critical area of supervisor responsibility include additional off site training, which is being funded by a COPS grant from the Department of Justice. The thrust of this training will be to influence the culture of our organization so that we can continue to improve while moving towards a more complete community policing strategy. In summary, the above mentioned programs are a snapshot in time of our attempt to level the playing field for all our citizens. We hope some of these ideas can be of use to other members of your conference.