Monterey Police Department’s command staff earned the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Award after completing three phases of leadership training.
Lieutenant Andrew Neff said the award is granted once the command staff completes the supervisor, command, and executive phases of the law enforcement curriculum. Neff said both he and Chief John Mackey have finished the entire series.
“After the first class, the Chief and I were pretty much hooked and was like man this is some great, great training and we want to continue on through the rest of them,” Neff said. “I wish they had more but they only offer those three as far as a leadership side of it goes.”
Neff said the training is divided into three separate week-long classes designed for different levels of leadership within an agency. Neff said the supervisor course focuses on first-line leadership for sergeants, while the command and executive courses are tailored for middle management and department heads.
“The idea now we’ve got the training now it’s up to us as far as leaders to make sure that we implement what we’ve learned and we’re making sure we’re passing it on to our other officers so they’re able to learn things as well and develop and become better leaders than what we currently have today because you want to keep that going,” Neff said. “You always want to leave the next generation better than what you are.”
Neff said the courses utilize instructors who have served as chiefs in large departments, such as Tampa Bay, to share both successful strategies and past mistakes. Neff said the training also allows officers from small departments like Monterey to network and exchange ideas with leaders from agencies across the country, including Washington, Alabama, and Kentucky.
“Anytime you can develop more leadership skills, any leadership classes you can take the better off you are in my personal opinion,” Neff said. “When you can take things that you can learn from others that have been there, done that, has got years of experience under their belt, it’s definitely beneficial as far as being able to utilize it in your own department and learn from that, those, learn from other people’s mistakes so you don’t make the same mistakes.”
Neff said the department is already implementing lessons from the trilogy, specifically by increasing the frequency of communication between the chief, the lieutenant, and the sergeants. Neff said this unified approach ensures that every level of the department is working toward the same goals and addressing small problems before they escalate.
“Honestly as far as the leadership the trilogy thing, you can have a plaque to hang on your wall but if you don’t implement it it’s not going to do anything,” Neff said. “And the idea behind it is taking what we’ve learned and implementing it and making the department better overall.”
Neff said both of the department’s sergeants have already started the process by attending at least one FBI LEEDA course. Neff said he intends to continue sending newer supervisors to these leadership classes to ensure the department maintains a high standard of training as officers progress through their careers.
