The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) has published an article from our founder, Thomas Lemmer, in the Winter 2025 issue of Command Magazine. The article is entitled, Police Leaders Need to Do Better on Gratitude. The article is a companion resource and follow-up to the executive training Lemmer conducted for ILACP members. This training was first presented at the ILACP annual conference held in April 2025. This training was also subsequently provided at the 2025 Midwest Security and Police Expo, the 2025 Breaching the Barricade Conference, and via a live webinar hosted by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Executive Institute. [Click the link to read more | 22 Dec 2025]
Leadership is always a much discussed topic and concern within the law enforcement profession. Leadership is a complex and dynamic topic. In such discussions, the styles of those tasked with leadership responsibilities are often the primary focus. Yet there is style, which is important, and then there is substance. Often overlooked are the mechanics of the formal leadership processes that guide the functions and operations of an agency. If a chef’s recipes can make or break a restaurant, which they can, so too should we view the policies of a police agency. A bad recipe can leave a bad taste, or worse. A bad policy can undermine a department’s operations, or worse – much worse. Bad policies can destroy officer morale, misdirect resources, complicate procedures, create inefficiencies, and impede effectiveness. Bad policies can cost millions in civil damages, litigation defense, and remediation efforts. In policing, officer safety should always be a priority concern, and bad policies can, and do, place individual members at risk. Bad policies can cost lives. Bad policies can also undermine the very public safety mission of a police department. Even as all of this is true, policy development is often foolishly approached much like art. The untrained observer is left to just know supposedly good policy when they see it. Such is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, there is a better approach for police policy development. [Click the link to read more | 29 Jul 2022]
