A select group of rookie D.C. police officers and some civilian employees are embarking on a two-year fellowship program through the Georgetown University Law Center aimed at identifying and training the next generation of police leaders.
Marvin Haiman, the director of volunteer coordination for the police department, said the program is intended to show young officers a path to rise through the ranks. During the past few years the department has lost more officers than it could hire.
“It is aimed at retention, to keep people connected more deeply with the profession and the city they are serving,” Haiman said. At the same time, he said, “it cultivates and generates the next round of leadership.”
Haiman said officers must be on the force less than one year to apply. have less than one year on the force to apply.In the future, the program will be used to recruit, identifying participants before they enter the police academy.
Workshops and other activities will center on various policing strategies, including changes being made in light of police shootings and other incidents that have angered neighborhoods.
Three professors have “deep expertise in police reform, criminal justice and racial justice,” according to a statement from police and the university. The Police For Tomorrow Fellows will receive certificates from Georgetown Law’s Program on Innovative Policing.
"This is a unique opportunity for fellows to build critical connections and thoughtfully explore some of the toughest issues confronting both the police and the community," William H. Treanor, the dean of Georgetown Law, said in a statement.
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham, also in a statement, said the program is to "not only to strengthen our officers' credentials and experience, but also the bond we have with the communities we serve."
Haiman said one of the officers selected has extensive experience in the military and another has traveled to more than 30 countries. “His thinking is very worldly,” Haiman said, “and he ponders the bigger impact of policing.”
