➡️ Save your spot by completing the “Register for this Police1 webinar” box on this page!
Date: Thursday, December 18
Time: 3 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. CT | 12 p.m. PT
Can’t make the date? Register anyway and we’ll send you a recording after the event.
Stepping into a higher leadership role is a major shift, even for experienced officers. The expectations change immediately, the decisions get harder and the room for hesitation narrows. In this interactive webinar, first-year police chiefs talk candidly about what the transition really required of them — the adjustments they had to make, the pressure points they didn’t anticipate and the routines that helped them lead with confidence during their first year.
These chiefs entered very different agencies and political climates, but the themes in their early experiences are consistent: balancing competing priorities, building trust with their teams, managing external scrutiny and staying grounded while the demands of the job accelerated. Their perspectives offer practical guidance for anyone preparing to move into a command or executive position.
If you’re preparing for a promotion, eyeing a future chief’s role or simply want a clearer picture of what advanced leadership really looks like, this webinar offers straightforward guidance from leaders who just went through it. Their experience can help you walk into your next role with more clarity and fewer surprises.
Attend this interactive discussion to:
- Understand the practical challenges leaders encounter in their first year at a higher rank
- Learn how new chiefs approach early decision-making, credibility-building and priority setting
- Identify common missteps during leadership transitions and ways to avoid them
- Explore communication and organizational strategies that help leaders support their teams through change
- Apply recent, real-world lessons from first-year chiefs to strengthen your own readiness for future command or executive roles
MEET OUR MODERATOR
Robin S. Engel, Ph.D., is a leading national expert in evidence-based policing with more than 115 funded research projects and over 100 technical reports supporting police agencies across the United States and internationally. She previously served as Vice President for Safety and Reform at the University of Cincinnati and directed IACP’s Center for Police Research and Policy. Her work focuses on implementing data-driven practices, improving organizational performance and strengthening accountability. She currently serves as an embedded researcher with the Louisville and Austin police departments and directs the Consortium to Advance Police Supervision.
MEET OUR PANEL
Chief Lisa Davis is the second woman in Austin’s history to serve as permanent Chief of Police. She brings more than three decades of experience with the Cincinnati Police Department, where she led major investigations, commanded the Investigations Bureau and built strong community-policing partnerships. She has created specialized units to reduce violent crime, improve problem-solving and support at-risk communities including LGBTQIA+ residents, Latino/Hispanic communities and victims of human trafficking. Her leadership emphasizes legitimacy, collaboration and data-informed crime reduction.
Chief Kevin Hall leads the Spokane (Wash.) Police Department after a 32-year career with the Tucson Police Department. His experience spans patrol, investigations and executive leadership, along with overseeing major operational divisions. He is a member of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy Hall of Fame and serves as co-chair of the IACP Research Advisory Committee. Chief Hall has completed advanced leadership programs at Harvard, PERF, Northwestern and the University of Arizona, grounding his approach in evidence-based strategies and organizational improvement.
Chief Paul Humphrey was sworn in as chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2024 after serving the agency since 2006. His career includes assignments as a patrol officer, supervisor and longtime SWAT Team member before becoming SWAT Commander, where he restructured the team to strengthen accountability, training and operational planning. He later led LMPD’s training division and was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2021. His leadership reflects a focus on standards, preparedness and supporting officers through organizational and cultural change.
➡️ Save your spot by completing the “Register for this Police1 webinar” box on this page!