Police officers standing in line
Leadership Programs

Basic Leadership Academy

The Arizona POST Basic Leadership Academy (BLA) contains contemporary leadership principles and concepts for public safety personnel who have recently promoted, or are soon-to-be promoted into a first line supervisory position.

Making the transition from officer to supervisor is challenging.  However, this transition is made easier with an education on the fundamentals of leadership and management. This course is designed to build industry knowledge and skills to facilitate the transition from a line-level position to leadership in the field of public safety. It will introduce students to the fundamental concepts and skills of professionalism, organizational culture and management, characteristics of effective teams, conflict resolution, motivation, systems-thinking, problem-solving, and leadership as applicable to public safety organizations.  Possibly the most important and impactful aspect of this course involves the tools that will be provided to cause self-reflection in each attendee. Purposefully designed with self-examining reflective modules, a detailed workshop on personality profile assessment, as well as directed group discussion driven to challenge one's thought process, this training will provide each student the ability to continuously assess and improve upon their own leadership behavior.

Field Training Leadership

Efective October 3, 2022:  FTL has been temporarily suspended given the current staffing shortages in many law enforcement agencies. Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] if you are interested in NAFTO’s 3-day FTO certification.

The Arizona POST Field Training Leadership (FTL) five day course will focus on the Field Training Officer’s role as the first level of leadership within a public safety organization for officers in training.  Curriculum and class participation will emphasize learning and application of leadership concepts and skills. 

AZPOST has partnered with NAFTO (National Association of Field Training Officers) and the Thin Blue Line of Leadership, LLC for this course. The first 3 days will be presented by NAFTO which will result in your Basic FTO certification.  Through guided discussion, case study, small group engagement, and video analysis, this 24-hour course will help the new Field Training Officer adapt to their new role. This course includes multiple levels of knowledge and skills needed for an FTO to be successful in their assignment as a trainer. By the end of this course, participants will begin to fully realize the dedication and commitment an FTO must possess to be successful. This course will help an established police officer begin the personal and professional adjustments necessary to be a successful FTO.

The Thin Blue Line of Leadership, LLC will provide one day of instruction  which will focus on adult learning concepts, decision making, and debriefing scenarios.  This one day of instruction will bring field training better into alignment with 21st century policing ideals, purpose driven policing, and current instruction/learning strategies.

The final day will present Leadership concepts and skills from the AZPOST staff. Course delivery will include power-point presentations, in-class exercises, discussions, and scenario analyses.

Executive Leadership Program

The Arizona POST Executive Leadership Program (ELP) is designed to successfully prepare sworn employees, currently holding the rank of lieutenant or higher, for future promotion. This is an extremely interactive and self-reflective opportunity to gain a ‘competitive edge’ for advancement within your agency and/or to seek future networking opportunities in the greater law enforcement community. Guest lecturers representing municipal government, private industry and law enforcement will deliver thought-provoking experiences and research-driven discussions shaping local, national and global trends in policing. Topics will challenge each executive leader to assess their role in influencing a positive and productive police culture while refining leadership skills.