First-line supervisors play a critical, but often under-recognized role in effecting change in law enforcement organizations. These supervisors, who have the most direct daily contact with officers and act as role models and culture influencers for the officers they supervise, are often the ones charged with explaining and translating polices and practices to officers on the ground. Line supervisors can therefore have significant influence, positive and negative, over how department policies and practices are implemented in the field. This webinar focuses on the role that first-line supervisors play in police organizations and the importance of engaging this critical level for culture and policy reform.

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021 NACOLE welcomed Dr. Robin S. Engel, Ph.D. to share her insights from her past and current research including on the role that police supervisors play in influencing the attitudes and behaviors of the patrol officers they supervise and, more recently, the effectiveness of Department-led de-scalation training in affecting officers’ approach to use of force encounters. She will also describe how she applied principles and insights gleaned from her research in her approach to reform efforts in oversight of the UCPD.

• Robin S. Engel, Ph.D., Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH