CRIMJ8002 - Advanced POLEX

Course Description

Advanced POLEX is Penn State Justice and Safety Institute's highest level Executive Development course. Since 2020 there have been many challenges for law enforcement. Prosecution of police officers and calls for defunding the police have been top news stories worldwide. These events have forced many law enforcement executives to do more with less resources and personnel. Other executives are looking for answers within their ranks in the form of culture, discipline, public relations, and leadership. Advanced POLEX has been developed with focus on these critical areas. Advanced POLEX not only builds upon the theory and practices learned in POLEX, but also provides participants with the opportunity to evaluate how these latest issues have impacted their agency and their personnel. Advanced POLEX is a 10-day course designed to address the most current needs of law enforcement operating in difficult times. This intensive course includes pre-course readings and assignments that are agency specific. The product of these assignments provides discussion materials that can be shared with other law enforcement partners in the class which enables a rich, problem-solving environment.

Attendees will examine the science of culture development. Attendees will examine how cultures not only affect the agency, but each individual unit in the agency. The course will examine how first-line supervisors are critical in the construct of the agency cultures. With many challenges with defunding and low morale, the course will provide attendees the opportunity to explore how to overcome these issues with proper planning and analysis. The course will examine the importance of mentoring in managing conduct. Additionally, leadership and succession planning are discussed as a critical component of managing public relations.

Advanced POLEX contains group activities that encourage collaboration between attending agencies to help commanders identify potential risks and develop planning strategies to have stronger relationships with their communities, while supporting their personnel.