Capstone
The Policing Leadership Academy’s five-month curriculum culminates in a capstone project to turn lessons learned into saving lives.
The PLA is not a one-off training exercise, it’s an education. The PLA’s curriculum is hands-on and interactive, and the capstone project is an opportunity for students to apply their learnings to the real world. The capstone project isn’t an assignment that ends after a participant graduates from the PLA—it is a starting point for implementing a solution to a pressing problem in their home departments.
Capstone coaches are assigned during the first week of the PLA; they serve as resources throughout the duration of the PLA and beyond.
The PLA capstone project requires a student to:
- Investigate a challenging problem or question of relevance to their district and the community it serves
- Develop a solution to the problem
- Implement guidance received from experts, mentors, and peers to revise and improve this solution using data, evidence, and best practices
- Present a product to their department and PLA capstone coaches showcasing key learnings, outcomes, and the impact that it will have on the problem
The PLA has given me the confidence to try new things, particularly the capstone project which, for me, is about generating and developing the domestic violence unit, which is so important within the United Kingdom. It’s a big issue and it’s allowed me to take the bold steps and risks in order to create transformational change within policing.
Chief Superintendent, Greater Manchester Police, United Kingdom
I truly believe that [my capstone project] is a gamechanger for my community. This actually is going to be put into place, and if successful, hopefully it will be a model for other districts.
Chief, Charlie District, Buffalo Police Department, New York
Latest Updates
Birmingham PD part of leadership training study designed to reduce violent crime
WBRC 6 News covers Birmingham Police Department Captain Michael Sellers’ graduation from the Policing Leadership Academy (PLA), the first officer from Alabama to participate in the program.
IMPD hopes to reduce gun violence after leadership training
Read about the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s participation in the Crime Lab’s second cohort of our Policing Leadership Academy.
Madison Police Department captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader
Captain Stephanie Drescher, a graduate of the Policing Leadership Academy, was awarded the 2024 Past President Scholarship at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives conference for their work on domestic violence homicides.
