Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Passion for the Job

Joel Shults retired as Chief of Police in Colorado. Over his 30-year career in uniformed law enforcement and criminal justice education, Joel served in a variety of roles: academy instructor, police chaplain, deputy coroner, investigator, community relations officer, college professor and police chief, among others. Shults earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, with a graduate degree in Public Services Administration and a bachelor degree in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Central Missouri. In addition to service with the U.S. Army military police and CID, Shults has done observational studies with over 50 police agencies across the country. He has served on a number of advisory and advocacy boards, including the Colorado POST curriculum committee, as a subject matter expert.

LATEST ARTICLES

Training

10 tips for police rookies who think they know everything

You’re almost done with your probationary period and you aced the academy — in short, you think you know a lot

June 12, 2014 06:07 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Command Staff - Chiefs / Sheriffs

Why ask “Why?” 5 reasons every good police leader should

Over my career as an academy trainer, professor — and now as chief and leader of my department — my greatest satisfaction has come from answering all those “why?” questions

June 03, 2014 09:45 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Surviving Columbine but still struggling with the darkness

It is not his proximity to death that day that occupied Keith’s thoughts during the ensuing months and years, nor even the question of why he lived and others didn’t

April 18, 2014 04:19 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Active Shooter

15 years after Columbine: Why our approach to school killers is a misfire

No policy or legislation could address even half of the unique circumstances of school murders

April 10, 2014 01:19 PM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Rural Law Enforcement

10 signs you’re a small town cop

Instead of calling dispatch, the citizen calls your house and asks your kid to get you to come over

March 12, 2014 04:58 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

2013 in Review: 12 stories that capture the essence of police work

From hostage situations to drugged-up lunatics to little lost teddy bears, it’s all in a day’s work

December 11, 2013 05:23 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

My problem with contact and cover

The problem with people like me is the central failure of contact and cover as it is frequently practiced — I want to be the co-contact!

December 04, 2013 05:59 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

‘Attaboys’ and ‘aw sh*ts': How to accept cop criticism

The brain craves feedback and the soul craves affirmation — since we get a lot of the former and too little of the latter, how can we improve our positive-to-negative ratio?

November 20, 2013 11:49 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

The attack cascade: Engaging an offender before it’s too late

We don’t wait until water goes from horizontal to vertical to start furiously paddling a kayak, so why do we wait until an offender strikes to start dealing with non-compliance?

November 06, 2013 07:41 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.

Police Jobs & Careers

What does it mean for an officer to act professionally?

A professional puts others at ease, and does not compete for the title of who is the smartest person in the room

October 08, 2013 10:10 AM

Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D.