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Police leaders don’t need to be told the job is hard. They’re already dealing with it — in staffing decisions, budget conversations, public expectations and the daily pressure to get things right when there’s little margin for error.
“26 on 2026: A Police Leadership Playbook,” sponsored by the University of San Diego, brings together 26 perspectives from leaders who are working through those same realities. The focus isn’t theory or trend-watching. It’s how real decisions play out inside agencies, under pressure.
This playbook looks at the issues that routinely land on a chief’s desk — workforce stability, technology decisions, supervision and culture, and preparedness for high-visibility events and critical incidents — and how leaders are working through them in practice.
What’s inside
Perspectives from experienced leaders across 26 key areas of policing, including:
Simon Sinek on why culture shows up in supervision, accountability and officer trust — not posters or mission statements — and what leaders have to pay attention to when it starts to slip.
LAPD Commander Randy Goddard on disaster communications failures and why redundancy, interoperability and governance remain leadership issues — not technology problems.
LVMPD Assistant Sheriff (ret.) Sasha Larkin on modern event security as an intelligence-led operation, including planning, coordination and public communication before, during and after high-visibility events.
You’ll also find practical discussion on issues leaders are dealing with right now, including:
- Active shooter response when coordination, command and communication — not tactics — determine outcomes
- AI governance before vendors, courts or public pressure define policy and accountability
- Recruitment and retention realities, including childcare, scheduling and workplace culture
- Mental health crisis response when patrol absorbs the cost of broader system failures
- Field training that builds judgment and decision-making, not just procedural compliance